More about the CHOSEN trial

Researchers want to test which method of cleaning the teeth after a stroke best reduces the risk of pneumonia.

CHOSEN is a clinical trial running at four hospitals in the north-west. It will recruit patients within 24 hours of admission to hospital with stroke. Only patients who have been found to have had difficulty swallowing during this period will be eligible to take part in the trial

The participants will be allocated to one of four methods of mouth care, delivered by the nurses on the stroke unit.

The CHOSEN trial will assess if it is possible to train the stroke unit staff in how to deliver the mouth care, and assess if patients are happy to accept the mouth care. 

If this is achieved, the researchers will seek further funding to move to the next phase of the trial. This will assess if mouth care reduces the risk of pneumonia and improves outcome after stroke.

The research group is led by Professor Craig Smith. Craig is a Consultant in Stroke Medicine at Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor of Stroke Medicine at The University of Manchester. Read Craig’s full research profile.

More information on the trial for both the public and researchers can be found on the ISRCTN registry website.

This study/project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit Programme (NIHR200739). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.