ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of water swallow test(WST)and simple two-step swallowing provocation test(SSPT)in the diagnosis of aspiration in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS:87 hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University during the period between December 2014 to December 2015. RESULTS: The number of patients of grade1,2,3,4 and 5 of water swallow test successively were 44,39,4,0 and 0. Patients with positive aspiration by the first-step(water injection of 0.4 mL)and the second-step(water injection of 2.0 m L)were 16 and 0. Patients with positive aspiration by radionuclide imaging was 35. Comparison of radionuclide imaging, the rate of missed diagnosis applying water swallow test was high 37.3%(31/83). Both the water swallow test and simple two-step swallowing provocation test have poor consistency with radionuclide imaging in the diagnosis of aspiration in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(McNemar consistency test P=0.00).CONCLUSION: There is a high rate of missed diagnosis applying water swallow test and simple two-step swallowing provocation test to diagnosis aspiration in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD),and combined use of multiple assessment methods can reduce the missed diagnosis rate of aspiration.