title: Prediction of aspiration in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Prediction of the risk of dysphagia and aspiration is important in the management of myasthenia gravis (MG). We assessed the ability of four bedside clinical tools to predict aspiration in 20 MG patients. Patients completed a self-directed questionnaire, underwent clinical neurological assessment and a bedside speech pathology assessment, and were assessed with the quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG) score. The ability of these tools to predict aspiration was compared with the results of a modified barium swallow. Seven patients aspirated, 4 silently. The total self-directed questionnaire score, two specific questions on the self-directed questionnaire, the prediction based on clinical neurological assessment, and the QMG bulbar subset score all correlated with aspiration. The speech pathology prediction was highly sensitive but less specific. This pilot study shows that simple clinical tools can predict which MG patients are at risk of aspiration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre, Myasthenia Gravis Clinic, University of Western Ontario, London N6A 5A5, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Wilma J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Koopman
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colton-Hudson
authors.forename: Tas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moosa
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Nicolle
mesh_terms: D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000379:methods