Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the “standardized endoscopic swallowing evaluation for tracheostomy decannulation in critically ill neurologic patients”

Background Removal of a tracheostomy tube in critically ill neurologic patients is a difficult issue, particularly due to the high incidence of oropharyngeal dysphagia. For an objective evaluation of decannulation readiness the “Standardized Endoscopic Swallowing Evaluation for Tracheostomy Decannulation in Critically Ill Neurologic Patients” (SESETD) – a stepwise evaluation of ‘secretion management’, ‘spontaneous swallows’ and ‘laryngeal...