Validation of BRACS to European Portuguese

Translation and Validation of "The Boston Residue and Clearance Scale" to European Portuguese

The goal of this observational study is to translate and validate the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing scale "The Boston Residue and Clearance Scale - BRACS" to European Portuguese

The Boston Residue and Clearance Scale (BRACS) is a multidimensional scale developed and validated to assess the severity of residues observed during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).

It differs from other FEES residue scales, since it considers all aspects related to pharyngolaryngeal residues, specifically, the location, amount and the patient's clearance ability.

The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the English version of the BRACS into European Portuguese and to investigate the reliability and validity of the translated version of the scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• FEES recording that allowed good visualisation of the pharynx and larynx.
• FEES recording of patients after head and neck surgery who had anatomical alterations of the structures, but which did not interfere with good visualisation of the residues.
• FEES recording of patients with a tracheostomy or under tube feeding.

Exclusion Criteria:

• FEES recording of patients under 18 years of age.