title: [The prevalence and signs of Dysphagia among stroke patients in rehabilitation units].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dysphagia, a very common post-stroke symptom, has been linked to aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and increased length of hospitalization. While patients are typically monitored for dysphagia continuously following their transfer to a rehabilitation unit, little is known about the results of dysphagia reassessments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the prevalence and signs of dysphagia among stroke patients in rehabilitation units.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed patients with stroke admitted to a rehabilitation unit of a medical center in southern Taiwan. The procedure included chart review, the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST), and the modified water swallowing test (MWST). Dysphagia was defined as either RSST or MWST abnormal. JMP 9.0 was used to perform descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At clinical examination, 53.61% of the study subjects demonstrated dysphagia. Chi-square analysis showed that five abnormal signs (could not close mouth with water, without mastication, food stuck in the throat, obvious sputum sound, and choking after swallowing) are all associated with dysphagia. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed choking is a significant predictor variable of dysphagia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over half of the rehabilitation unit stroke patients in this study had dysphagia. Nurses are the primary care providers for dysphagia patients. Therefore, there is a need for ward nurses to have skills to assess, recognize, and manage dysphagia and to enhance patient safety.
authors.affiliation: Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yi-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medical, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Yueh
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Dentistry for Children and Disabled, Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, ROC. shuntehuang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shun-Te
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: dysphagia; modified water swallowing test (MWST); repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST); stroke