The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of the novel Functional Bedside Aspiration Screen (FBAS) to predict aspiration risk in acute stroke and to guide initial therapy needs. We conducted a prospective validation study of the FBAS 10-point scale in 101 acute ischemic stroke patients. Outcome measures were compared with the Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS) via the Flexible Endoscopic Swallowing Study. Correlations with the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) and the Therapy Requirement Scale (TRS) were analyzed. We observed a 65.8% sensitivity and 70.2% specificity (p = 0.004) for predicting penetration risk (for PAS score ≥ 3) and a 73% sensitivity and 62% specificity for predicting aspiration risk (PAS score ≥ 6). For patients with a modified ranking scale 0-2 (n = 44) on admission, the predictive measurements of the FBAS yielded sensitivity and specificity values of 66.7% and 88.6% (p = 0.011). A significant negative correlation was found with PAS measurements, whereas a positive correlation was observed regarding FOIS. Significantly lower FBAS scores were observed in patients with high requirements for therapeutic interventions and dietary modification. FBAS may be regarded as an alternative time-efficient clinical support tool in settings in which instrumentation is not directly accessible. Further studies including a larger cohort of acute stroke patients with more severe neurological deficits are necessary.
Keywords: FEES; aspiration; nutritional needs; stroke; swallow screen; swallowing risk.