Table 3.

Classification of aspiration for 553 patients on initial FEES

	Patients after transoral or transnasal tracheal intubation (n = 295)	Patients with indwelling tracheotomies (n = 258)
Silent aspiration	51 (17.3%)	95 (36.8%)
Aspiration	115 (39.0%)	126 (48.8%)
No aspiration	129 (43.7%)	37 (14.4%)

Aspiration = inhalation of material into the airway below the level of the true vocal cords, with acute symptoms (cough or gag reflex as the bolus passed into the trachea), silent aspiration = aspiration occurring in the absence of acute symptoms