Which of the following is a screening test for dysphagia?

• A. 3 oz water swallow test (Yale Swallow Protocol)
• B. EAT-10
• C. Sydney Swallow Questionnaire
• D. Toronto Bedside Swallow Screening Test (TOR-BSST)

Answer: (A)

Screening tests for dysphagia aim to quickly identify patients at risk of aspiration so they can receive formal evaluation. The 3 oz water swallow test (Yale Swallow Protocol) does this by having the patient drink a small, uniform amount of water and watching for signs of trouble during or after the swallow—such as coughing, throat clearing, a change in voice quality, or an inability to complete the swallow. Because it directly observes a swallow and airway protection in a brief, bedside setting, it serves as a practical, rapid screener to flag those who need further assessment with instrumental tests like videofluoroscopy or FEES. The other options are mostly symptom questionnaires (which capture subjective difficulty rather than actual swallow safety) or other bedside screening tools; they can be useful, but they don’t provide the same immediate, observable measure of swallow safety that the 3 oz test offers.