Findings of Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Studies AreAssociated with Tube Feeding Dependency at Discharge in StrokePatients with Dysphagia

The factors associated with tube feeding dependency in stroke patients with dysphagia have received little attention. This study aimed to identify factors independently associated with tube feeding dependency at discharge in stroke patients with dysphagia using videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VSS) and clinical findings. One hundred eighty-one consecutive tube-fed inpatients with stroke-related dysphagia referred for VSS were enrolled in the study. Of them, 47 patients continued to require tube feeding at discharge. In the final logistic regression analysis model, advanced age, recurrent stroke, confinement to a wheelchair at discharge, long duration from stroke onset to VSS, and stasis in valleculae or pyriform sinuses and aspiration on VSS were independently associated with tube feeding dependency at discharge. This study confirms the association between findings of VSS and tube feeding dependency at discharge in stroke patients with dysphagia. Based on the final regression model, a preliminary equation was proposed to help clinicians better predict the tube feeding dependency at discharge in stroke patients with dysphagia.