Swallowing
This is the medical term for swallowing difficulty.
What is dysphagia?
Despite common misconceptions, speech-language pathologists cannot reverse this progressive cognitive disorder.
What is dementia?
If your patient is struggling to find specific words, such as calling a "kettle" a "hot water maker," they may have this type of speech/language disorder.
What is aphasia?
Consistent coughing, wet vocal quality, and throat clearing while eating and drinking can all indicate that a patient may need a formal swallowing evaluation, even if they passed a swallow screen.
What is FACT?
If an SLP is concerned about a patient’s swallowing, they may recommend this 3 letter test that includes taking an x-ray video of the patient’s swallowing.
What is an MBS?
Fun fact: only these assessments, as well as FEES, give the SLP enough information to formally diagnose a swallowing problem.
This type of solid diet order is not quite as soft as pureed foods, but not as solid as soft/bite-sized foods.
What are minced/moist foods?
This type of memory is more likely to be affected after a brain injury.
What is short-term memory?
Your patient has trouble coordinating their mouth muscles to make the specific sounds of a word. This is called _____.
What is apraxia?
Patients should always be encouraged to tuck their chin to help protect their airway if they are having problems swallowing
What is MYTH?
This type of low-tech AAC (alternative and augmentative communication) shows pictures that a patient can point to to demonstrate basic wants or needs.
What is a communication board?
Fun fact: Patients need to have at least some language skills to use this, and should always be evaluated by an SLP prior to using.
Three types of liquids that may be prescribed by an SLP as a diet order for a patient?
What is thin, mildly thick, and moderately thick?
This type of attention is targeted during dual tasking in therapy.
What is divided attention?
This term can describe “slurred speech,” and is characterized by consistent production errors.
What is dysarthria?
Dysphagia is the leading cause for aspiration pneumonia.
What is MYTH? Fun fact: Other factors such as poor oral care, dependence on others for feeding, or being bed bound are stronger predictors than swallowing difficulty alone
True or False: Keeping a patient NPO is a foolproof way to prevent aspiration.
FALSE
Fun fact: Keeping a patient strict NPO can sometimes do more harm than good. Not swallowing anything at all can lead to disuse atrophy, and patients can still develop aspiration pneumonia from aspiration of oral bacteria in their saliva. This is why oral care is so important!
A patient may seem fine drinking water, but with this condition, aspiration can occur without obvious signs like coughing.
What is silent aspiration?
A patient who starts a task but forgets the next step may struggle with this skill.
What is sequencing?
If you ask your patient to point to their nose, but they point to their ear, they may have this type of speech/language disorder.
What is aphasia?
Patients can still be appropriate for a swallow eval if they cannot follow commands.
What is FACT?
Name three different types of aspiration precautions.
Small sips/bites, slow rate, upright positioning, checking for pocketing, alternating bites/sips, etc.
The medical term for something entering the airway and passing below the vocal cords?
What is aspiration? Fun fact: Penetration refers to when something enters the upper airway (laryngeal vestibule) but does not yet pass below the vocal cords.
This cognitive domain involves planning, organizing, problem-solving, and flexible thinking, often impaired after TBI or stroke.
What is executive function?
Your patient can follow commands, write sentences, and communicate complex thoughts using a communication device. They still have difficulty producing sounds, syllables, and words. This patient likely presents with ____.
What is apraxia?
Giving a patient thickened liquids is always safer than giving a patient thin liquids.
What is MYTH?
Name 5 speech therapists
Paul, Renee, Nina, Anne, Alisa, Mary, Marissa, Brook, Brittany, Michelle, Nathalie, Rana, Tonya, Katy, Khanh, Deb, Lance.