Nutrition & Hydration in Dysphagia & Intro to IDDSInn

Question 1

Use of Lab Values by SLP

Answer 1

• Lab values may reveal an underlying issue which can
  impact evaluation and treatment.
• It is important for medical SLPs to know that changes
  in lab values can cause changes in speech,
  swallowing, and cognitive status.
• Don’t try to diagnose medical conditions from lab
  values. They’re useful to know how to read because
  you can see the confirmation of your clinical
  impression

For example:
- clinical signs of dehydration may be confirmed via lab
values suggestive of dehydration
- underlying illness that may reflect poor health (e.g.,
high WBC in the context of a suspected upper
respiratory infection)

Question 2

How to interpret lab values

Answer 2

• More commonly used in acute care where labs
  are typically drawn daily
• May have annotation showing if value is WNL (within normal limits) or “H”/”L” (high/low)
• slides have normative ranges

Question 3

Prevailing health status: Laboratory measures

Answer 3

Complete Blood Count (CBC) Panel
 Red blood count (RBC)
 Hemoglobin (HGB)
 Hematocrit (HCT)

 White blood count (WBC)
(Increased value –> body fighting infection
 Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)
(bacteria fighters, account for largest # of WBCs circulating in blood, first recruited to site of infection)

 *Depressed CBC values may reflect Anemia which comes with fatigue/loss of energy, SOB, difficulty concentrating, changes in cognition, increased mortality in elderly

Question 4

Prevailing health status: Laboratory Measures

Answer 4

Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP) (Electrolytes)
- sodium, potassium, chloride are indicators of hydration status
- blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatine: elevated levels may indicate renal impairments (kidney’s ability to do their job.)
- CO2: When high, can lead to respiratory issues/intubation; when low can lead to SOB, nausea, vomiting
- CMP can show hypernatremia which is when there is greater water loss from the body than sodium