
Silent Aspiration: A Closer Look
Silent aspiration is difficult to assess when screening a patient for dysphagia as well as during the clinical (bedside) swallow evaluation. Asking a patient to elicit a cough does not provide information about airway response. An absent cough while eating and drinking also does not reliably indicate absence of aspiration, as aspiration may be silent. However, coughing while eating and drinking remains the number one reason for referral to speech-language pathologist and the