Fighting Dysphagia with an Unlikely Weapon: Math (Part 1) A Guest Post by: George Barnes MS CCC-SLP Co-author: Doreen Benson MS CCC-SLP Thinking about thinking Congratulations. You made it this far. The mathematical title didn’t scare you away. But it's ok if it makes you a little nervous. I mean, you haven't touched math since [...]
Category: Assessment
Measuring Outcomes for Success…..What are You Using?
How Does Cognition Affect Swallowing
Cognition can impact many facets of life including swallowing. Patients may be confused enough that they don't "recognize" food in their mouth and effectively may not know what to do with that food. For example, when I was working in the acute care hospital, I evaluated a patient in the ICU that had sodium levels [...]
Dysphagia Following Extubation Part 2
Dysphagia Following Extubation Part 1
FEES Following Extubation
The 1998 Paper Leder, Cohn and Moller investigated the incidence of aspiration following extubation in critically ill trauma patients. The study looked at 20 patients who required oropharyngeal intubation for at least 48 hours. All FEES were completed around 24 hours following extubation. Remember, aspiration is when the bolus enters the airway, below the level [...]
MBSS AND FEES. Why Not Both?
MBSS VS. FEES Whenever you read the literature, you often see MBSS vs. FEES or a similar thought comparing the two tests, attempting to find the superior, gold standard assessment. On social media, we seem to have 2 camps. Team MBSS and Team FEES. You can't be friends and in separate camps!! (Completely joking here!!!) [...]
Myths of FEES Part 3
You don't use FEES. Maybe you don't believe in FEES because you've heard somewhere that it's dangerous. Myth #3........FEES is too dangerous for my patients. I'm pretty sure that if FEES were that dangerous, it wouldn't still be a thing. I mean, if we're doing harm to patients with use of a procedure, it would [...]
Myths of FEES Part 2
This is going to be a big one. This is going to maybe go against everything you've ever heard or known. I mean, maybe I need a drumroll here...... FEES Myth #2 Busted......... You CAN see aspiration with FEES. There.....i said it. "Good agreement was found, especially for the finding of aspiration (90%)." (Regarding FEES) [...]