Silent danger: ICU patients may choke without knowing it

This study looks at how often ICU patients silently inhale food or liquid into their lungs after a breathing tube is removed, without showing obvious signs like coughing. Researchers will compare a routine bedside swallowing test with a more detailed camera test to see if the bedside check misses these silent events. The goal is to understand risk factors and whether silent aspiration leads to worse outcomes like pneumonia or longer hospital stays.