July 2022 Newsletter

Happy Independence Day! God Bless the USA!

The Fourth of July celebrates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

Happy 4th of July to everyone celebrating our country’s independence but don’t forget to honor our veterans and current military who have served to ensure our continued FREEDOM! We know that freedom does not come free… there is a cost, as some gave all! LET FREEDOM RING!

July 4th holiday schedule

DiagnosTEX will be closed on Monday July 4th and will run vans Tuesday through Friday.

Other things in July worth acknowledging:

Air-Conditioning Appreciation Days – We truly appreciate our AC all summer long in Texas. Keep up Ercot!
Cell Phone Courtesy Month – A lost manner in our society. Dare ya, to put it down!
National Blueberries Month – Prevent Alzheimer’s by eating your blueberries daily!
National Grilling Month – You can grill on the hot sidewalk during a Texas summer!
National Ice Cream Month – I think this should be June, July and August!
National Hot Dog Month – This is just the American way!
National Honey Month – The bees are active this time of year! Honey in iced tea is the best!
National Make a Difference to Children Month – They are all out of school, spend some quality time!
National Parks & Recreation Month – It’s Picnic time!
National Vacation Rental Month – Ready, set, ……..Let’s go!
National Watermelon Month – This definitely belongs in July! Do the Watermelon crawl!
National Wheelchair Beautification Month – Woohooo! Let’s decorate those chairs!!!

July Summer CE

Live: Deciphering Dysphagia with Ampcare’s ESP™ (Effective Swallowing Protocol)
Saturday, July 30, 2022 8am-5pm in Fort Worth Texas.
Register online at www.ampcarellc.com

Complete Ampcare ESP training at home and at your own pace…The Ampcare online ESP certification course is offered for 0.8 ASHA CEU’s. The training consists of an introduction and 11 modules that cover the anatomy and physiology of the swallow response, muscle fiber types and recruitment patterns, fundamental principles of electrotherapy, and past and current research. Each module is completed on demand at the participant’s own pace and will be followed by a short, comprehensive quiz to ensure understanding of the material. Go to: www.ampcarellc.com

July is National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month (NCCAPM)

However, NCCAPM and its partner organizations maintain a variety of programs throughout the year offering support and education services for patients and families, and promoting public awareness. Cleft and craniofacial conditions affect thousands of infants, children, teens and adults in the United States each year. Some are born with congenital anomalies like cleft lip and palate, others with more complex, life-threatening craniofacial conditions. Some are burned; others are injured in accidents and animal attacks, or diagnosed with various oral/head/neck and skin diseases. The problems with feeding and swallowing that occur as a result of clefts and craniofacial anomalies range in severity. The extent of clefting, as well as other structural, airway, and neurologic issues, are factors that contribute to potential difficulty with oral feeding mechanics and with the integrity of airway protection during swallowing. Oral motor dysfunction in conjunction with obstruction in the upper airway secondary to anatomic or physiologic anomalies has the potential to cause serious disruption to the necessary coordination of respiration and swallowing. Timely identification of problems is necessary to address threats to nutritional status and/or respiratory health. Awareness of the factors that impact upon the success of feeding and the efficacy of compensatory feeding strategies is key to best practice and successful patient outcomes.

(PDF) Feeding and Swallowing Issues in Infants With Craniofacial Anomalies. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304032310_Feeding
and_Swallowing_Issues_in_Infants_With_Craniofacial_Anomalies [accessed Jun 18 2018].

DiagnosTEX is expanding services

By fall, we will be initiating our outpatient services located in North Richland Hills for both adults and pediatrics! We are excited to announce that Jennifer Meyer, M.S. CCC-SLP will be assisting us with pediatric program. Jennifer is a popular international speaker in the areas of NICU and Pediatric Dysphagia and has received exceptional ratings for her courses. She has over 30 years’ experience specializing in pediatric feeding disorders, working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, developing outpatient hospital-based feeding programs, providing consultation and program development for Early Childhood Intervention Programs and Home Health Companies, and serving as past Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas Woman’s University and Clinical Coordinator of the Center for Assisting Families with Feeding and Eating (CAFFE). Through her private practice she continues to serve as consultant and mentor in her mission to teach therapists to see themselves as facilitators in treating the child, supporting the family, and bringing back the fun, joy and family connection in eating. Her passion and our passion to provide the best dysphagia care and MBSS is the perfect fit for our new venture and we could not be more excited about the possibilities. We want to create something that changes everything for our community!

Dysphagia Tidbit

Have you done a comprehensive dysphagia assessment and ordered an instrumental evaluation to evaluate the esophagus?

The adult esophagus is 18 to 26 cm (7 to 8 in) long; when distended. Patients with esophageal dysphagia report food “sticking” in the throat or upper chest several seconds after swallowing and will point to the suprasternal notch or behind the sternum as the site of the sensation. Chest pain or odynophagia is frequently associated with dysphagia, whether it is related to motor disorders, structural disorders, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Symptoms more suggestive of an esophageal pathology includes heartburn, regurgitation, odynophagia, and atypical GERD symptoms (dyspnea, chronic cough, hoarseness, throat clearing, sore throat, and globus sensation). It is important to review the patient's full medical history, including long-term illnesses such as neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, and hypertension; current medications; and drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. Patients with a history of gastritis, hiatal hernia, GERD, or peptic ulcer disease may be indication of a concern. A history of nasogastric tube also can result in a stricture formation. Commonly prescribed medications can cause esophageal dysphagia through direct mucosal injury or by decreasing lower esophageal sphincter tone. Foods including spicy foods, alcohol, chocolate, fatty food, peppermint, and onion also can cause decreased lower esophageal sphincter tone or reflux. A comprehensive dysphagia evaluation includes a modified barium swallow to assess the oropharynx, scan the esophagus to evaluate esophageal clearance. Administration of a 13-mm barium pill is also useful, to indicate narrowing. Management of esophageal dysphagia depends on the underlying cause and could involve medications or surgery. Managing Dietary changes with softer food; smaller, less obstructive boluses; and postural measures may be helpful as well. But you can’t know, what you don’t know unless you assess! Don’t guess!

Reference: GASTROENTEROLOGY Assessing esophageal dysphagia, Kruger, Danielle MS Ed, RPA-, JAAPA: May 2014 - Volume 27 - Issue 5 - p 23-30