The association between delays in screening for and assessing dysphagia after acute stroke, and the risk of stroke-associated pneumonia.
BACKGROUND
There is no robust evidence that screening patients with acute stroke for dysphagia reduces the risk of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP), or of how quickly it should be done after admission. We aimed to identify if delays in bedside dysphagia screening and comprehensive dysphagia assessments by a speech and language therapist (SALT) were associated with patients' risk of SAP.


METHODS
Nationwide, registry-based, prospective cohort study of patients admitted with acute stroke in England and Wales. Multilevel multivariable logistic regression models were fitted, adjusting for patient variables and stroke severity. The exposures were time from (1) admission to bedside dysphagia screen, and (2) admission to comprehensive dysphagia assessment.


RESULTS
Of 63 650 patients admitted with acute stroke, 55 838 (88%) had a dysphagia screen, and 24 542 (39%) a comprehensive dysphagia assessment. Patients with the longest delays in dysphagia screening (4th quartile adjusted OR 1.14, 1.03 to 1.24) and SALT dysphagia assessment (4th quartile adjusted OR 2.01, 1.76 to 2.30) had a higher risk of SAP. The risk of SAP increased in a dose-response manner with delays in SALT dysphagia assessment, with an absolute increase of pneumonia incidence of 1% per day of delay.


CONCLUSIONS
Delays in screening for and assessing dysphagia after stroke, are associated with higher risk of SAP. Since SAP is one of the main causes of mortality after acute stroke, early dysphagia assessment may contribute to preventing deaths from acute stroke and could be implemented even in settings without access to high-technology specialist stroke care.
Farr Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK.
Benjamin D
BD
Bray
Stroke and Vascular Research Centre, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
Craig J
CJ
Smith
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Geoffrey C
GC
Cloud
School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Pam
P
Enderby
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK.
Martin
M
James
Royal College of Physicians, London, UK.
Lizz
L
Paley
Stroke and Vascular Research Centre, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
Pippa J
PJ
Tyrrell
Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, UK.|National Institute for Health Research Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Charles D A
CD
Wolfe
Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, UK.|National Institute for Health Research Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Anthony G
AG
Rudd
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology