Initiating Safe Oral Feeding in Critically Ill Intensive Care and Step-Down Unit Patients Based on Passing a 3-Ounce (90 Milliliters) Water Swallow Challenge

Abstract

Successfully recommending specific oral diets for ICU and SDU patients based on passing a 3-oz water swallow challenge was supported. Importantly, when a simple bedside 3-oz challenge administered by a trained provider is passed, specific diet recommendations can be made safely and confidently without the need for further objective dysphagia testing.