Which precaution is explicitly indicated for a stroke patient until a swallow study is done?

• A. Aspiration precautions (NPO until swallow study done)
• B. Fall precautions
• C. Seizure precautions
• D. Contact precautions

Answer: (A)

Dysphagia is common after a stroke, and the risk of aspirating food or liquids is highest until swallowing ability is formally evaluated. Keeping the patient on nothing by mouth ensures no oral intake occurs that could be inhaled into the lungs before a swallow study clarifies what, if anything, can be safely eaten or drunk. This protects against aspiration pneumonia and guides future diet advancement based on the study results.

Other precautions like fall, seizure, or contact precautions aren’t specifically tied to the swallowing assessment. They’re important in various stroke care scenarios, but they don’t address the immediate risk of aspiration while swallow function is unknown.