Table 2.
Result of the Speech Therapist assessment of the swallowing ability.
| N (181) | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Dysphagia | ||
| Present | 65 | 35.9 |
| Absent (178–200)a | 116 | 64.1 |
| Dysphagia severity (N = 65) | ||
| Mild (168–177)a | 22 | 33.8 |
| Moderate (139–167)a | 37 | 56.9 |
| Severe (<138)a | 6 | 9.2 |
| Risk of aspiration | ||
| No risk (170–200)a | 136 | 75.1 |
| Risk of aspiration | 45 | 24.9 |
| Risk of aspiration severity (N = 45) | ||
| Mild (149–169)a | 16 | 35.6 |
| Moderate (139–148)a | 18 | 40.0 |
| Severe (<140)a | 11 | 24.4 |
| Post-assessment FOIS | ||
| I | 1 | 28.2 |
| II | 46 | 0.5 |
| III | 14 | 25.4 |
| IV | 41 | 7.7 |
| V | 11 | 22.7 |
| VI | 17 | 6.1 |
| VII | 51 | 9.4 |
| Grouped FOIS | ||
| I, II, III | 98 | 54.1 |
| IV | 14 | 7.7 |
| V, VI | 52 | 28.7 |
| VII | 17 | 9.5 |
| Post-assessment suggested oral route | ||
| Suspended | 52 | 28.7 |
| Restricted Liquid | 6 | 3.3 |
| Complete Liquid | 5 | 2.8 |
| Pureed | 85 | 47.0 |
| Soft | 15 | 8.3 |
| Free | 18 | 9.9 |
N, number of participants; FOIS, Functional Oral Intake Scale.
a
Scores based on the MASA (Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability) protocol.