Abstract TP326: Effect of Dysphagia Screening Strategies on Clinical Outcomes After Stroke a Systematic Review for the 2018 AHA/ASA Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Dysphagia screening protocols have been recommended to identify patients at risk for aspiration. The American Heart Association convened an Evidence Review Committee to systematically review evidence for the effectiveness of dysphagia screening protocols to reduce the risk of pneumonia, death, or dependency after stroke. Methods: The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched on November 1, 2016, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing dysphagia screening protocols or quality interventions to increased dysphagia screening rates, and reporting outcomes of pneumonia, death or dependency. Results: Three RCTs were identified. One RCT (n=1,126) found that a combined nursing quality improvement intervention targeting fever and glucose management as well as dysphagia screening reduced death and dependency (42% vs. 58%, p=0.002), but without reducing the pneumonia rate (2.1% vs. 2.7%, p=0.82). Another RCT (n=311) failed to find evidence that pneumonia rates were reduced ...