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Nurse-led dysphagia screening: implementing an eight-item screening tool in clinical practice

Authors: Mandysová Petra | Ehler Edvard | Pellant Arnošt | Škvrňáková Jana

Year: 2014

Type of publication: ostatní - článek ve sborníku

Page from-to: 99-99

Titles:

Language	Name	Abstract	Keywords
eng	Nurse-led dysphagia screening: implementing an eight-item screening tool in clinical practice	Objective: Recently, we have developed an eight-item nursing dysphagia screening test (NDST) with high sensitivity (95.5%) and negative predictive value (88.9%) for use in neurological departments. The test was developed based on a research study that involved 112 patients with a neurological condition and a risk of dysphagia; most of them were stroke patients (n = 54). The importance of dysphagia screening in stroke patients is widely recognized. The aim of the current study was to implement the test in clinical practice and to study its administration time (AT). Materials-Methods: Study participants included a purposive sample of 42 hospitalized stroke patients. The patients were examined using the NDST (8 items). The items tested the ability to cough, clench the teeth, and swallow thickened fluid without cough; symmetry and strength of the tongue, facial muscles, and shoulders; and articulation and speech. For each patient, AT was measured in minutes, using a watch. Based on all the data, the median and mode were calculated. Results: The AT ranged from 5–8 minutes. Most frequently, the AT was 5 minutes (n = 28) (the mode). In some cases, the AT was 6 minutes (n = 9), 7 minutes (n = 4), and 8 minutes (n = 1). The median was 5 minutes. Conclusion: The scientific literature on dysphagia screening tests rarely mentions the time needed to administer such tests. Two studies have reported a 7–10 minute administration time. Our NDST compares very well with these tests as the average AT was 5 minutes. The AT can be even shorter if the nurse has basic interaction with the patient beforehand, enabling him or her to note the patient’s speech, articulation, and so on. The findings support the use of the NDST in clinical settings.	administration time; dysphagia screening; nursing