Dysphagia Bedside Screening for Acute Stroke Patients:The Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS)

The Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) aims at reducing the risk of aspiration during the test to a minimum; it assesses the severity of aspiration risk and recommends a special diet accordingly. Methods: Fifty acute stroke patients were assessed prospectively. Validity of the swallowing screening was established using the fibre endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). For interrater reliability two independent therapists evaluated 20 patients within a 2-hour period. For external validity another group of 30 patients was tested by nurses. For content validity the liquid score of FEES was compared to the semisolid score.