Betty L McMicken1, Cheryl L Muzzy. 1. Department of Communicative Disorders, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California 90840, USA. hoarsedoc@aol.com
Abstract
PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated whether there were statistically and/or clinically significant changes in functional status for patients between admission and discharge as measured by (1) the assistive/independence levels on the swallowing portion of the functional assessment measure (SFAM), and (2) the food and liquid dietary ratings. Also investigated was the relationship between the assistive/independence levels of the SFAM and the specific dietary ratings. METHOD: Treatment was given at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Centre in Downey, California. Subjects for this study consisted of 100 first-time documented acute stroke patients with swallowing disorders. Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon signed ranks test and Spearman rho were used to investigate the proposed questions in this study. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in both the dietary ratings and SFAM levels between admission and discharge and a high percentage of these differences were also determined to be clinically significant. In addition, it was found that there was a high level of variability in the dietary ratings at the majority of SFAM levels. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that separate and specific dietary ratings in addition to the SFAM assistive/ independence levels are necessary to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the stroke patient with dysphagia.
PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated whether there were statistically and/or clinically significant changes in functional status for patients between admission and discharge as measured by (1) the assistive/independence levels on the swallowing portion of the functional assessment measure (SFAM), and (2) the food and liquid dietary ratings. Also investigated was the relationship between the assistive/independence levels of the SFAM and the specific dietary ratings. METHOD: Treatment was given at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Centre in Downey, California. Subjects for this study consisted of 100 first-time documented acute strokepatients with swallowing disorders. Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon signed ranks test and Spearman rho were used to investigate the proposed questions in this study. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in both the dietary ratings and SFAM levels between admission and discharge and a high percentage of these differences were also determined to be clinically significant. In addition, it was found that there was a high level of variability in the dietary ratings at the majority of SFAM levels. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that separate and specific dietary ratings in addition to the SFAM assistive/ independence levels are necessary to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the strokepatient with dysphagia.