title: Factors affecting return to oral intake in inpatient rehabilitation after acquired brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To extend previous observations by investigating if differences exist in time to initiation or to recovery of total oral intake in patients with acquired brain injury assessed by either Facial-Oral Tract Therapy (F.O.T.T.) or Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and to investigate whether other factors influence these outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and nineteen patients with dysphagia in inpatient neurorehabilitation were randomized. The main outcome was time to maximum on the Functional Oral Intake Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in time to initiation or recovery of total oral intake using F.O.T.T. or FEES. Oral intake was initiated for 42% on admission and 92% at discharge; 2.5% of the patients were on total oral intake within 24 hours of admission and 37% at discharge. The likelihood of recovery to total oral intake before discharge was found to depend on age, Functional Independence Measure score, length of stay and number of dysphagia interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no significant difference in time to initiation and recovery of total oral intake before discharge, whether assessed by F.O.T.T. or FEES, indicating that an instrumental assessment is unnecessary for standard evaluation. Age, functional independence and length of stay had a significant influence.
authors.affiliation: Hammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, Aarhus University , Hammel , Denmark .
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kjaersgaard
authors.forename: Lars Hedemann
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Bengt H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Sjölund
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D020127:Recovery of Function; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acquired brain injury; dysphagia; facial-oral tract therapy; fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing; functional oral intake scale; outcome