Safe and adequate nutrition, vital to the recovery from a traumatic brain i
njury; can be severely compromised by the presence of dysphagia. This study
identified injury severity and swallowing factors that were associated wit
h impaired oral intake in patients with severe brain injury, An admitting G
lasgow Coma Scale (GSC) 3-5; a Rancho Los Amigos Scale of Cognitive Functio
ning OVA) Level II; a computed tomography (CT) scan exhibiting, midline shi
ft, brainstem involvement, or brain pathology requiring emergent operative
procedures; or ventilation time greater than or equal to 15 days identified
patients at highest risk for abnormal swallowing, aspiration, and delay in
initiation of oral feeding and achievement of total oral feeding. When com
bined in multivariate models, RLA Level, CT scan, ventilation time and aspi
ration emerged as significant independent predictors of impaired oral intak
e.