Standardized Endoscopic Swallowing Evaluation for Tracheostomy Decannulation in Critically Ill Neurologic Patients

In neurologic patients, speech-language pathologists' impressions about the patient's state when clinically assessing indirect variables of swallowing function often lead to the unnecessary prolongation of cannulation time. Endoscopic evaluation has the advantage of objectively visualizing the patient's ability to manage secretions directly and allows for faster but, nonetheless, safe decannulation. The endoscopic protocol proposed here is a safe, efficient, and objective bedside tool to guide decannulation decisions.