Adult Swallowing Condition & Assessment Flashcards
What is dysphagia?
Disorder or difficulty in swallowing
What are the stages of swallowing?
Oral
Pharyngeal
Esophageal
What is a feeding disorder?
Impairment in the process of food transport outside the alimentary system (GI Tract)
Usually an umbrella term encompassing all feeding problems regardless of the etiology severity or even the consequences.
Usually is the result of weakness or incoordination in the hand or arm used to move the food from the plate to the mouth
Feeding disorders may manifest as:
Prolonged mealtimes
Food refusal
Prolonged bottle- or breast-feeding in toddlers/older child
Failure to introduce advanced textures
What is the difference between signs and symptoms?
Signs - objective or observable phenomenon that is observed by the healthcare professional and not the patient
Subjective - this is only apparent to the patient, “feel ko…”
What are the signs of a person with dysphagia?
- Food spills from lips
- Excessive mastication time of soft food
- Poor dentition
- Tongue, jaw, or lip weakness
- Xerostomia – mouth dryness
- Bolus enters or exits the nasal cavity (there is a velopharyngeal incompetence)
- Infrequent swallows
- Excessive residue in mouth, pharynx, or esophagus after completed swallow
- Material enters the airway on radiographic study
- Aspiration of saliva or lung abnormality
- pH probe study positive for acid reflux
- Unexplained weight loss
What are the symptoms of dysphagia?
- Difficulty chewing
- Difficulty initiating swallow
- Drooling
- Nasal regurgitation
- Swallow delay
- Food sticking
- Coughing and choking
- Coughing when not eating
- Regurgitation
- Weight loss
What is aspiration? What phase is it most likely to occur?
Foreign object intended to be swallowed goes into the trachea
Most likely to occur during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing
Pharyngeal phase occurs for about how many seconds?
Less than 2 seconds
What is silent aspiration?
Swallowed material that goes below the vocal folds that does not produce a cough reflex
What are the two kinds of aspiration?
Primary aspiration
Secondary aspiration
What is primary aspiration?
Aspiratory on a bolus that comes from above the airway
Aspirated material is usually saliva, fluid, or food
What is secondary aspiration?
Aspiration on a bolus that comes from below the airway
Aspirated materials has usually been refluxed or vomited up from the gut (emesis) or has built up above a stricture or hold up in the esophagus
What are structural and physiological limits?
Structural and physiological
Structural limits - anatomical composition or structure issues that impedes feeding development
Physiologic limits - more of the processes happening or conditions present that affects the patient that impedes the feeding development
What are the structural limits happening in the oral and facial regions?
- Choanal atresia
- Micrognathia
- Macroglossia
- Dental malocclusions
- High palatal arches
What is choanal atresia?
Nasal conchae are occluded by soft tissue or bone due to failed recanalization of the nasal fossae
Also known as small jaw
Micrognathia also known as mandibular hypoplasia
What is macroglossia?
Abnormal enlargement of the tongue
What are high palatal arches?
Inadequate airway protection
What happens if a patient has macroglossia?
- May prevent the patient from lips sealing
- Difficulty with bolus manipulation
- May have excessive drooling
What is esophageal stricture?
Narrowing of esophagus
What is esophageal atresia (EA)?
Incomplete formation of esophagus
Ends in blind pouch and doesn’t connect at stomach
What is tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF)?
Abnormal connection (fistula) between the esophagus and the trachea
There is gaseous distention from the stomach
What is pyloric stenosis?
Thickening and narrowing of pylorus
Causes forceful vomiting shortly after eating
What is short bowel syndrome?
Malabsorption secondary to resection of small intestine
What is the effect of a small stomach due to fundoplication?
Child easily feels full
What is a congenital diaphragmatic hernia?
A hole in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs to herniate (migrate) into the chest
What is hiatal hernia?
Protrusion of the stomach into the mediastinal cavity
Through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm pushing the lower esophageal sphincter away from the diaphragm (mimics acid reflux–burning sensation, chest pain, trouble in swallowing, and regurgitation of food and liquid)
What can cause an increased physiologic stress in breathing? It has negative influence on?
Negative influence on: suck-swallow-breathe coordination, energy required for feeding
Examples: Laryngomalacia, Tracheomalacia (the trachea collapses), Holes in the heart, Aortic stenosis
What is penetration?
A foreign objects enters the airway but not beyond the vocal folds (food enters the laryngeal inlet)
What is aspiration?
Foreign object enters airway beyond vocal folds (trachea pababa papunta sa lungs)
Aspiration happens due to several factors. What are these?
- No swallow reflex
- Delayed swallowing
- Poor timing and coordination
- Residue because of poor pharyngeal movement
- Vocal cords paralysis
This is the most common GIT disorder
GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux diseases)
Stomach contents reflux proximally because of LES incompetence. Typical symptoms: vomiting and gagging. It is also the most frequent and most pervasive physiological limit.
GERD
Factors that contribute to GERD
- Respiratory problems (e.g., labored breathing, overinflated lungs)
- Increase pressure due to coughing
- Medication for respiratory stress
What are the respiratory effects of GERD?
- Larynx irritation (cough and hoarseness)
- Micro-aspiration or refluxed contents - Chronic bronchitis and asthma-like symptoms
- Apnea
What are postural problems?
Respiratory problems due to postural problems (e.g., kyphosis, scoliosis)
Decreases the depth of respiratory volume
What are respiratory issues due to tone problems?
- Poor basis of respiratory control
- Difficulty moving chest muscles
- May develop compensatory methods of breathing that provide less respiratory support for feeding