Clinical Decision Making & Management of Swallowing Flashcards
What are the five ways we can “treat” dysphagia?
positioning
strategies
diet
exercises
Stimulation
In terms of positioning, what are some things we can teach?
head turns
head tilt
recline (rare-but used sometimes)
list to left or right (tilt with your trunk)
most of the time, upright 90 degrees is best
If someone had a glossectomy, what positioning might you teach?
recline
If someone has lack of tongue movement to propel the bolus into the pharyngeal area, what positioning might you use?
recline
If someone has unilateral oral weakness with pooling, what positioning might you teach?
head tilt to the opposite side during chewing, so they are chewing on the strong side
If someone has premature spillage while chewing, what positioning might we teach?
chin tuck
If someone has unilateral pharyngeal weakness, what might we teach?
head turn: turn head during swallow–have them turn it toward the weak side to close off the weak side.
IF you want to clear away the reside, you turn it toward the strong side, opening up the weak side to clear it away.
What are some strategies we might teach?
small bites/sips
chin tuck
hard effortful swallow (squeeze it down)
repeat/extra swallows (w/ or w/out head turns)
alternate solids with liquids
super supra-glottis swallow
Mendelsohn maneuver
when might you teach a chin tuck?
used for swallow delay
`when might you teach a hard effortful swallow?
if you have residue on the posterior tongue base or residue on the posterior pharyngeal wall
When might you teach repeat/extra swallows?
if you have residue
when might you teach super supra-glottiC swallow?
for someone who has a paralyzed vocal fold
describe the super-supraglottic swallow
take a deep breath, take food/liquid in, then clear your throat.
Describe the Mendelsohn maneuver
can be used as a strategy or as an exercise–Scott has found this helpful as an exercise, not really helpful as a strategy
you try and hold your larynx in the upright position when you swallow–swallow only halfway, hold it, then release–good exercise!!
-difficult to teach–difficult to do it
helps with laryngeal elevation–epiglottic inversion, it also helps with CP opening. Good for patients who have a tight CP and need more time to clear materials.
If a patient is supposed to be performing a chin tuck, drinking from a cup can be dangerous since he/she has to tilt his/her head back to take a drink from the cup. Straw can be dangerous because it is difficult for some patients to control the amount they get.. so what is some equipment that aids patients with their strategies?
- Nosey Cup: Allows the drinker to keep chin down while tilting the cup back for taking a drink. $16 for 5pk of large green cups on amazon.
- Bionic Reusable Safe Straw: This system works with any time of drinking cup. the straw limits the amount of liquid that can be sucked through the straw at a controlled pace. Delivers about 1 teaspoon of liquid. $57 for one straw!
- Small teaspoon or toddler spoons: This may be helpful for those individuals who ned to take small bites. Very helpful for impulsive patients. Price: $6
What are some things we can give patients as visual reminders for swallow safety strategies
scott always gives a written list of the patient’s strategies
most patient’s need that visual reminder
he makes several copies so they can keep at the table, couch, bed, etc…
What is an example of what would be on a visual reminder?
Sit upright 90 degrees for all oral intake
Small bites/sips (1 drink at a time)
Chin tuck downward with liquids (may use a straw)
Hard-Effortful Swallow
Repeat-extra swallows with head turned to the left
Alternate solids with liquids
Periodic throat clears
What strategy would you use for a swallow delay?
chin tuck
what strategy would you use for decreased posterior tongue retraction?
hard-effortful swallow (while your swallowing)
repeat extra swallows or alternate solids with liquids after the initial swallow to remove residue
What strategy would you use for decreased pharyngeal wall contraction?
hard effortful swallow
repeat extra swallows or alternate solids with liquids after initial swallow to remove residue
What strategy would you use for decreased laryngeal elevation?
Mendelsohn Maneuver
Head turn w/ a repeat extra swallow (to remove from valleculae and pyriform sinuses due to the effect of decreased laryngeal elevation)
alternate solids with liquids (to remove from valleculae & pyriform sinuses due to the effect of decreased laryngeal elevation)
What strategy would you use if you had residue in the valleculae?
Head turn with a repeat extra swallow
alternate solids with liquids
ON EXAM
what strategy would you use if you had a paralyzed vocal fold?
super supra glottic technique
head turn could potentially work–but doesn’t always work (perfect time to try is during a FEES)
Periodic throat clears–b/c most likely are at risk to aspirate thin liquids
What strategy would you use if your patient has residue in the pyriform sinuses?
head turn with a repeat extra swallow
Alternate solids with liquids
In the Groher et. al. study what are some facts they found about residents and their diets?
31% of residents in two facilities were prescribed a mechanically altered diet
91% were at dietary levels below that which they could tolerate safely
4% were at dietary levels higher than they could tolerate
5% were considered to be a at the appropriate diet level.
If a patient is NPO what are some ways for them to receive enteral nutrition?
Orogastric (OG)
Nasogastric (NG)
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG)
Gastrostomy (G-tube)
Jejunostomy (J-tube)
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
Why is an OG tube not ideal?
they’re rare b/c you don’t want something going through the mouth b/c it’s not comfortable and a breeding ground for bacteria.
It’s used rarely in the ICU
Is an NG common or not?
very common
What are the “Solid’ textures of a mechanical diet?
pureed
mechanical soft
regular w/ chopped meats/veggies/fruits
regular
What are the liquid textures of a mechanical diet?
thin
nectar
honey
pudding
What does Dharmarajan T.S. et al say about the data in the literature with dementia patients who had PEGs?
To further support their findings, what did Feinberg find?
Much of the data in the literature do not suggest that outcomes in dementia are favorably improved after PEG.
Artificial (enteral) feeding does not seem to be a satisfactory solution for preventing pneumonia in prandial aspirators.
What did Chouinard 2000 say influence the risk of pneumonia?
Mobility, nutritional status, & host immune response (not just dysphagia & aspiration) influence risk of pneumonia.
“prevention of pneumonia through appropriate management of dysphagia is not supported by empirical evidence.”
What did Gomes Et al say about NG tubes being associated with?
NG tubes are associated w/ colonization & aspiration of pharyngeal secretions & gastric contents leading to a high incidence of Gram(-) pneumonia. Mechanisms responsible for aspiration in patients bearing an NG tube are:
Loss of anatomical integrity of the upper & lower esophageal sphincters
Increase in the frequency of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations
Desensitization of the pharyngoglottal adduction reflex
What did prolonged PTN with bowel rest result in according to Ono, H. et.al.
prolonged TPN with bowel rest induces physiological dysfunction of gastric mobility
What did Lien, H.C., et al. (2001) say about PEJ feeding?
PEJ feeding reduced but did not eliminate GER
A retrospective study done by Taylor H.M. over a 24 month period with 25 people being fed via G-tube found what?
they experienced 40 cases of pneumonia during 508 months of observation. Only 5 individuals fed via J-tube experienced pneumonia.
According to Li, I (2002) studies show feeding tubes are not effective in what?
-preventing malnutrition
preventing the occurrence or increase healing of pressure sores
preventing aspiration pneumonia
providing comfort
improving functional life
extending life