August 2010 Newsletters

Consultants in Dysphagia Evaluation and Management
817-514-MBS1 or 1-888-514-MBS1
August 2010
Clinical Café Newsletter
By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP
Monthly Motivator: STAY COOL!

Upcoming E-Stim courses –for more information on these courses, please call 817-991-1040
Atlanta, Georgia – August 14
Austin, Texas – August 28
Alexandria, Louisiana – October 10
Orlando, Florida – October 23

Support Parkinson’s
Texas Voice Project for Parkinson Disease will be hosting a special annual event “SPEAK OUT: Speaking Out for Parkinson’s to be held on Saturday September 18th 2010. It will be at the Eisemann Center for performing Arts in Richardson which seats 1500. The purpose of SPEAK OUT is two-fold. The vent will begin with a musical performance by Parkinson’s patients who have received treatment and are now able to SPEAK OUT using their new and improved voices. A reception will follow for all patrons and performers. The event will conclude with a Panel Discussion led by 13 of Dallas’ most distinguished Parkinson’s physicians and specialists who will address those issues most concerning to the Parkinson’s population. For more information or to registers please contact Texas Voice project at 469-375-6500.

MBSS Audio and observation on the mobile clinic
Due to the importance of our diagnostic study which includes audio recording, as well as the involvement of our physician located behind the lead wall, we would like to request that anyone on the mobile clinic observing to please keep conversation at minimum and voices low. We know you want to educate your families and even students but it can be extremely distracting to the physician trying to listen to the DiagnosTEX SLP as we comment on the swallow, and the DiagnosTEX SLP as we focus on the patient and the study. Also it is very important that the audio is recording what is occurring on the van during the study and it needs to be clearly recording the study and not conversation in the background, as this is a medical record of the study and important for liability issues. We can certainly answer questions before and after the study, or if necessary between administrations. Thank you for your consideration of this.

Mobile ETA
When we schedule an MBSS, it is usually best on the best case scenarios in relation to time. Being mobile, everyone involved from family to staff must understand that the scheduled time is an “Estimated” time of arrival. We could be a little earlier or a little later. Please be aware of this in regards to your schedule as well. We will always call on our way to your facility! We could have cancellations, we could have add-ons, difficult staff and patients, traffic, weather, patients not ready when we arrive etc etc., I could fill a whole page with scenarios that could happen in the course of our day. Mobile unit is based on convenience of us coming to you. If a patient, family member or even a staff member requires a certain day and time, you may want to consider scheduling this specific day and time on an out-patient basis at a local hospital, as a mobile unit may not meet your needs in regards to your schedule. Mobile units require flexibility on the part of all involved. DiagnosTEX also bases our schedules in relation to geographical area and the requests we have pending, this allows us to be efficient in our travels as well as budget. DiagnosTEX is providing this area with the lowest Part A rates in the state. Thank you for your understanding and please educate your patients, families and staff what mobile convenience entails.

Dysphagia Tidbit – Information on a New Dysphagia Product
From the Greek root “Phagein”, meaning “To Eat”, comes providing the first, all natural colorant for swallow studies. Founded by a Speech Pathologist for Health Care Professionals involved in the management of dysphagia. They provide a natural color contrast for FEES and bedside swallow studies to better meet the diagnostic needs of you and your patients. The colorant is comprised of natural Anthocyanins derived primarily from the extracts of carrot and cabbage. The color contrast is packaged into individual, sterile units that are intended for one-time, one-patient use. Individual packaging increases patient safety by decreasing the risk for bacterial and viral contamination as is common in multi-use, multi-patient bottles. Phagein Blue currently uses the deep red-purple pigments or anthocyanins from black/purple carrot and red cabbage for the base of its color contrast. They are currently working on a blue shade cabbage only formulation as well as a powder form.
Ingredients:
Red Cabbage Juice Extract
Black/Purple Carrot Juice Extract
Vegetable Glycerine
Sterile Water
Calcium Carbonate
Vitamin C
*Juice extracts of black/purple carrot and red cabbage are exempt form certification and are recognized as safe as colorants in food by the FDA
There has been CONCERN, generated over the use of synthetic blue food colorings (Methaline Blue and FD&C Blue No.1) in swallow studies, related to toxicity & mortality after maximal exposure studies conducted via enteral tube feedings to assess for non or postprandial aspiration. This should not be confused with the limited exposure swallow studies conducted by Speech Pathologists to assess for prandial aspiration. Regardless of whether you use a synthetic colorant or an all natural one such as PhageinBlue , it is always a good idea for the transdisciplinary medical team members (MD, SLP, RT, RN, RD, etc.) to discuss diagnostic plans (FEES, BBDSS, VFSS) and contraindications (medical & respiratory status, aspiration risk, gut perforation or permeability, etc.) before commencing evaluation of the patients swallow. The use of blue color contrast in bedside swallow studies is a TOOL…and like all other diagnostic tools, requires adequate education & training of the care provider to ensure its appropriate use and interpretation. For more information:
By Email: sales@PhageinBlue.com
(to place orders and for sales & general inquires)
By Phone:802.683.0785
By Fax: 309.424.7088
By Mail:PhageinBlue
C O L O R T R A S T, LLC
PO BOX 542
Brownsville, Vermont 05037