Introduction:
Instrumental swallow studies (e.g., FEES or MBSS) are an essential tool needed to effectively assess and manage dysphagia. They can and should be more accessible. However, this is not always the reality. Financial restrictions and red tape can make just the recommendation of these tests controversial. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions in transferring patients has only made this situation worse. Many patients need to wait a significant amount of time before they obtain access to an instrumental study. That is, if they can get one at all. As an owner of a mobile FEES company myself, I fully support advocating for swallow studies. It’s imperative that we clarify the importance of instrumental studies and the difference they can make for our patients’ care. However, the reality is that we also need to make our clinical swallow evaluation (CSE) as research-based and accurate as possible. At least, while we are waiting.
The CSE is by no means perfect. The research shows that bedside swallow evaluations and screens are extremely limited in their ability to detect aspiration (O’Horo et al., 2015). Knowledge is strength and knowing this can help us use certain approaches at the bedside to make the most of the CSE.
Watch the Video:
Resources:
