Baseline characteristics of patients with acute stroke who had WST and V-VST
| WST (n=276) | V-VST (n=276) | P values* | ||||||
| Negative (n=197) | Positive (n=71) | Unclear (n=8) | P values | Safety and efficacy (n=217) | Impaired function† (n=59) | P values | ||
| Age, years old, mean+SD | 61.23±13.94 | 65.07±12.17 | 65.38±16.65 | 0.091 | 61.29±13.75 | 66.22±12.65 | 0.014 | 0.611 |
| Gender, males, % | 143 (72.59) | 50 (70.42) | 4 (50.0) | 0.375 | 159 (73.27) | 38 (64.41) | 0.182 | 0.626 |
| Onset to admission, days, mean+SD | 3.40±3.20 | 2.63±2.96 | 2.63±1.85 | 0.119 | 3.40±3.28 | 2.37±2.30 | 0.007 | 0.567 |
| LOS, days, mean+SD | 9.53±5.59 | 12.79±9.39 | 19.75±10.94 | <0.001 | 9.54±5.42 | 14.85±10.76 | <0.001 | 0.441 |
| LOS in the ICU, days | 0.86±2.62 | 2.37±4.03 | 3.75±3.88 | 0.001 | 0.98±2.87 | 2.63±3.83 | 0.003 | 0.866 |
| Stroke subtype | 0.790 | 0.743 | 0.849 | |||||
| Intracranial haemorrhage (n, %) | 33 (16.75) | 11 (15.49) | 2 (25.0) | 37 (17.05) | 9 (15.25) | |||
| Ischaemic stroke (n, %) | 164 (83.25) | 60 (84.51) | 6 (75.0) | 180 (82.95) | 50 (84.75) | |||
| Baseline characteristics | ||||||||
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg, median+IQR | 151 (132-170) | 154 (137-165) | 156 (139-167) | 0.845 | 151 (132-168) | 154 (139-166) | 0.288 | 0.830 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg, median+IQR | 82 (74-92) | 84 (76-92) | 86 (75-97) | 0.824 | 83 (75-93) | 82 (75-92) | 0.937 | 0.660 |
| OCSP | 0.003 | 0.002 | 0.470 | |||||
| Lacuna (n, %) | 30 (15.23) | 3 (4.23) | / | 33 (15.21) | / | |||
| Partial anterior circulation (n, %) | 110 (55.84) | 45 (60.38) | 6 (75.00) | 121 (55.76) | 40 (67.80) | |||
| Posterior circulation (n, %) | 51 (25.89) | 13 (18.31) | 1 (12.50) | 53 (24.42) | 12 (20.34) | |||
| Total anterior circulation (n, %) | 6 (3.05) | 10 (14.08) | 1 (12.50) | 10 (4.61) | 7 (11.86) | |||
| Risk factors | ||||||||
| Atrial fibrillation (n, %) | 5 (2.54) | 8 (11.27) | 2 (25.00) | 0.001 | 7 (3.23) | 8 (13.56) | 0.002 | 0.876 |
| Diabetes mellitus (n, %) | 54 (27.41) | 22 (30.99) | 2 (25.00) | 0.830 | 58 (26.73) | 20 (33.90) | 0.278 | 0.661 |
| Hypertension (n, %) | 143 (72.59) | 55 (77.46) | 6 (75.00) | 0.723 | 159 (73.27) | 45 (76.27) | 0.642 | |
| Smoking (n, %) | 103 (52.28) | 32 (45.07) | 4 (50.00) | 0.581 | 111 (51.15) | 28 (47.46) | 0.615 | 0.862 |
↵*The difference between the patients failed water test and the patients failed volume– viscosity test.
↵†Impaired function in V-VST stands for impaired swallowing safety and/or effectiveness or failed to cooperate with the test.
ICU, intensive care unit; LOS, length of stay; OCSP, Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project; V-VST, volume–viscosity swallow test; WST, water swallow test.