Risk factors for swallowing dysfunction in stroke patients.

Context: Stroke is a frequent cause of dysphagia.

Objective: To evaluate in a tertiary care hospital the prevalence of swallowing dysfunction in stroke patients, to analyze factors associated with the dysfunction and to relate swallowing dysfunction to mortality 3 months after the stroke.

Methods: Clinical evaluation of deglutition was performed in 212 consecutive patients with a medical and radiologic diagnosis of stroke.