Abstract 26: Thirty Day And Six Month All-cause Mortality After Stroke In Patients With And Without Dysphagia Screening.

Background: Dysphagia is common after stroke and is associated with an increased risk for pulmonary complications and mortality. Current standards mandate screening for dysphagia before oral intake in all acute stroke patients. We aimed to show if this early screening affects long-term outcomes after stroke. Methods: We included all UCSD Medical Center discharges with diagnosis AIS, ICH and SAH between July 1 2008 and June 30 2011; and evaluated baseline demographics, admission diagnosis (AIS, ICH, SAH), admission source (ED or transfer) length of hospital stay (LOS), ICU-LOS, aspiration pneumonia, in-hospital, 30-day and 6-month mortality by public death records for all patients. Patients were grouped as: 1) no dysphagia screening performed, 2) Nil per os (NPO) until discharge, 3) dysphagia screening performed. Adjustments for stroke severity and CMI were not possible. Statistical comparisons were done with the Kruskal-Wallis test (continuous variables) or Fisher-Freeman-Halton test (categorical variables). For pairwise comparisons we used the Wilcoxon tests (continuous variables) or Fisher’s Exact test (categorical variables), with Holm’s adjusted p-values. Results: A total of 476 patients were included, Group 1: 47, Group 2: 119, Group 3: 310. There was no significant difference in age, gender, race/ethnicity, and diagnosis of HTN, DM, afib, prior stroke and admission source. More patients with SAH and ICH were in Group 2. Overall, LOS and ICU LOS, aspiration pneumonia, in-hospital, 30-day and 6-month mortality were found to be different among groups (p<0.0001). Pair-wise comparisons showed that all outcomes were significantly higher in Group 2, but similar between Groups 1 and 3 (NS). Conclusion: We found no difference in outcomes between patients who received dysphagia screening versus not (Group 1 vs 3). Excluding patients who were left NPO and are more likely to suffer from ICH, SAH with increased morbidity and mortality, it remains uncertain if a targeted early dysphagia screening can reduce morbidity and mortality after stroke. Further studies are needed to find the appropriate population that most benefits from dysphagia screening.