Clinical factors predicting risk for aspiration and respiratory aspiration among patients with Stroke

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the association of risk factors with the Risk for aspiration nursing diagnosis and respiratory aspiration. METHOD: cross-sectional study assessing 105 patients with stroke. The instrument used to collect data addressing sociodemographic information, clinical variables and risk factors for Risk for aspiration. The clinical judgments of three expert RNs were used to establish the diagnosis. The relationship between variables and strength of association using Odds Ratio (OR) was verified both in regard to Risk for aspiration and respiratory aspiration. RESULTS: risk for aspiration was present in 34.3% of the patients and aspiration in 30.5%. The following stood out among the risk factors: Dysphagia, Impaired or absent gag reflex, Neurological disorders, and Impaired physical mobility, all of which were statistically associated with Risk for aspiration. Note that patients who develop such a diagnosis were seven times more likely to develop respiratory aspiration. CONCLUSION: dysphagia, Impaired or absent gag reflex were the best predictors both for Risk for aspiration and respiratory aspiration.