Screening for aspiration risk associated with dysphagia in acute stroke

Abstract

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Diagnostic test accuracy). The objectives are as follows:
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of bedside screening tools for detecting dysphagia, which is a predictor of aspiration, in people with acute stroke.
To assess the influence of the following potential sources of heterogeneity.
• Patient demographics (e.g. age, gender, percentage of males in study, median age of study by gender).
• The time post-stroke that the study was conducted (from admission to 48 hours) to ensure only hyperacute and acute stroke dysphagia screening tools are identified.
• Any significant change in the participant’s condition between the index and reference tests being performed.
• The definition of dysphagia used by the study.
• Level of training of nursing staff, both grade and training in the screening tool.
• Low-quality studies identified from the methodological quality checklist.
• Type of the index test and the threshold of the index test.
• Type of the reference test.