Abdoreza Ghoreishi - Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Sara Artishdar - BSc in Speech Therapy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Kourosh Kamali - Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

Background and Aim: Dysphasia is known as one of the common issues among patients experiencing an acute stroke. The stroke can bring about disorders in various organs such as mouth, tongue, palate, pharynx, larynx, and upper esophagus, as well as bearing consequences due to dysfunction of those organs. One the affected vital functions is swallowing which will result in aspiration, Choking, Pulmonary infection and even death. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of dysphagia (swallowing disorder) and its related factors in order to identify the disorder and its complications. Materials and Methods: In this Perspective study ۱۰۰ stroke patients (admitted to stroke care unit of Zanjan Valiasr hospital from ۹۸/۱/۱ to ۹۸/۶/۳۱) were included. Swallowing disorder, type of stroke, , NIHSS scores on arrival and time of discharge, gag reflex , result of ۳ Oz Water Test were studied and data were analyzed using SPSS ۲۴ software. Results: The incidence of Dysphagia among these ۱۰۰ patients is ۴۵%, which is a significant percentage. Occurrence of Dysphagia in types of stroke was ۱۰۰% in ICH, ۳۹.۶% in Ischemic, ۱۰۰% in IVH (p value < ۰.۰۰۱).     As the severity of stroke increases, the rate of dysphagia increases (minor stroke: ۰%, moderate stroke: ۲۹%, moderate to severe:۹۴%, severe:۱۰۰%, p value < ۰.۰۰۱) Among people who had Normal gag reflex ۸۵.۹% had dysphagia and all the people who aspirated in ۳oz Water Test had Dysphagia ( p value < ۰.۰۰۱) Conclusion: Due to the high occurrence of swallowing disorder among stroke patients, immediate assessment and effective treatment of Dysphagia after any stroke can improve the quality of medical intervention and rehabilitation in the very first hours. Moreover, the aforementioned steps also decrease the rate of mortality owning to the aspiration problems, prevent Pulmonary infection, shorten the duration of hospitalization, and finally reduce Hospital (treatment) Costs.Having a normal gag reflex may not be an acceptable reason to diagnose swallowing disorder So Complete clinical assessments are necessary to diagnose the disorder.۳ oz water test as one of the swallowing assessment tools has an acceptable ability to detect dysphagia.

stroke