Drinking speed using a Pat Saunders valved straw, wide-bore straw and a narrow-bore straw in a normal adult population.

Background: Straw drinking is often recommended as a strategy for managing swallowing difficulties in adult clinical populations. This study presents a range of normal adult straw drinking speeds and discusses clinical applications.

Method: Straw drinking speed in a normal healthy population of 70 adults from 18 to 95 years of age was measured.