The "slurp" test: Bedside evaluation of bulbar muscle fatigue

Patients with myasthenia gravis or other neuromuscular disorders are subject to increasing weakness of bulbar-innervated muscles, with resulting aspiration or catastrophic airway compromise. The available practical assessments of bulbar function in children are inadequate. We report our experience with the "slurp" test, a new bedside measure of bulbar function, in children with myasthenia gravis. Our experience suggests that the test is valuable for identifying patients with probable serious compromise of bulbar function, for monitoring such children during times of intercurrent illness, and for guiding therapy.