Videofluoroscopic Predictors of Aspiration in Patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between aspiration and seven other variables indicative of pharyngeal stage dysphagia. Additionally, we looked at the relationship between aspiration and oral stage dysphagia. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified five independent predictors of aspiration that were significant at the p = 0.05 level: vallecular stasis, reduced hyoid elevation, deviant epiglottic function, diffuse hypopharyngeal stasis, and delayed initiation of the pharyngeal stage of the swallow. A linear trend was observed in that, as the severity of vallecular stasis, pyriform sinus stasis, diffuse hypopharyngeal stasis, or delayed initiation of the pharyngeal stage of the swallow increased, the proportion of patients who aspirated also increased. A stepwise logistic regression model furnished estimates of the odds ratio for each independent variable and can be used by clinicians to calculate the risk of aspiration in patients who demonstrate pharyngeal stage dysphagia.