Screening for aspiration risk associated with dysphagia in acute stroke (diagnostic test accuracy protocol)

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Diagnostic test accuracy). The objectives are as follows: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of bedside screening tools for detecting dysphagia, which is a predictor of aspiration, in people with acute stroke. To assess the influence of the following potential sources of heterogeneity. • Patient demographics (e.g. age, gender, % of males in study, median age of study by gender). • The time post-stroke that the study was conducted (from admission to 48 hours) to ensure only hyperacute and acute stroke dysphagia screening tools are identified. • Any significant change in the patient’s condition between the index and reference tests being performed. • The definition of dysphagia used by the study. • Level of training of nursing staff, both grade and training in the screening tool. • Low quality studies identified from the methodological quality checklist. • i) Type of the index test and ii) the threshold of the index test • Type of the reference test