August 2024 Newsletter
Blue Skies, Humidity, Hot Sun! Summer is still with us!
By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP
Monthly Motivator
Your talent determines what you can do
Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do
Your attitude determines how well you do it!
Summer is Texas – As a mobile clinic, DiagnosTEX must be very attentive to parking in locations that either provide shade for our generators or where our generators can be facing away from the sun, to keep them running. The heat coming up from concrete below the generators is scorching enough. We will park as close to the building as possible, and if we can park under a porte-cochère at the facility, all the better!
IT IS ALMOST HERE! - You do not want to miss this memorable event!
The BEST CE’s of 2024 - Annual DTEX Conference in September
Dysphagia Across the Life Span - Pediatrics to Geriatrics. The Role of the SLP for Clinical Excellence. Location: Aloft Dallas Euless Hotel, Euless, Texas
Swallowing physiology patterns are found to progress throughout the various stages of life from pediatrics to geriatrics, as such, a Speech Pathologist must identify and understand swallowing physiology across the lifespan. In this course, the presenters will describe changes in anatomy and physiology of the swallowing mechanism across the lifespan. Diagnostic considerations for pediatric, adult, and aging adults will be discussed, with consideration of the impact of underlying esophageal components. The importance of dysphagia imaging will be highlighted. Tools are provided for developing an effective interprofessional team and for advocating for patients’ access to dysphagia imaging. Treatment considerations across the lifespan including compensatory and rehabilitative will be discussed.
Register online at www.dysphagiadiagnostex.com (+ $1 transaction fee and tax)
Cost: $50.00 - August 1 – August 31, price will increase to $60.00 - September 1 – September 13th
This LOW price includes ASHA CE’s, demo’s, lunch and many fun giveaways!
Learning Objectives and Time Agenda can be viewed online: This course is offered for 6.5 PDHs or 0.65 ASHA CEUs.
DiagnosTEX outpatient clinic – Open to ALL ages, call and schedule with us Monday through Friday. DiagnosTEX is changing the standard of care for dysphagia evaluation in DFW for both adults and pediatrics!
Come experience the one of a kind customized MBSS experience in North Richland Hills! www.dysphagiadiagnostex.com
It is a season for Ice Cream!
Thickened Ice Cream is an easy and simple pleasure for dysphagia patients
Single serving (1/2 cup) – Nectar thick – 1 Simply Thick nectar thick packet
Honey thick – 1 Simply Thick honey thick packet
Step 1: Soften ice cream for 15 minutes and scoop into food processing bowl.
Step 2: Process ice cream and Simply Thick gel until mixed or particles in ice cream are thoroughly pulverized.
Step 3: Pour/scoop into individual serving dishes or one container suitable for freezing. Remove from freezer when ready to serve.
Note: Ice cream with SimplyThick gel does not thin at room temperature. Pureeing ice cream blends Simply Thick well and a wide variety of ice cream flavors can be used, and toppings such as caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, etc. Final texture is soft and spoonable at room temperature. Critical Control Points (CCP): • Freeze, and maintain freezer at 0°F or less. To order: 800.205.7115 / www.simplythick.com
How important is evaluating GI issues for the overall health of a patient?
A new study: GI conditions tied to intracranial aneurysm development and rupture. Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery Jul 22 2024
There is a potential connection between a diagnosis of certain gastrointestinal (GI) syndromes and the formation and rupture of intracranial (brain) aneurysms, according to research presented today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 21st Annual Meeting. An intracranial aneurysm (IA) occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bulges, putting pressure on the vessel wall. IAs that rupture cause brain bleeding and lead to a hemorrhagic stroke, a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate medical attention from a neurointerventionalist. Researchers have questioned whether GI syndromes may be connected to the formation and rupture of IAs. In their study, "The Gut-Brain Axis: A Nationwide Database Analysis of Gastrointestinal Syndromes Preceding a Diagnosis of Intracranial Aneurysms," researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that certain digestive symptoms and diagnoses may precede the formation and rupture of IAs. The team analyzed data from 72,545 individuals with ruptured IAs, 46,748 individuals with unruptured IAs and matched controls looking for patients who had been diagnosed with GI disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea before their IA diagnosis. Then, they validated their findings in a cohort study with a five-year timeframe. Researchers found that GI syndromes and appendectomy were associated with both ruptured and unruptured IA cases. Specifically, patients with IA who had been previously diagnosed with difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), diarrhea and constipation were more likely to experience both IA formation and rupture, leading to hemorrhagic stroke. Separately, they found that patients with IA who had been diagnosed with reflux disease, chronic stomach pain and bloating (known as functional dyspepsia), and IBS without diarrhea were more likely to only experience IA formation without rupture.
There is evidence from animal studies suggesting a relationship between the gut microbiome and various inflammatory diseases, including the development and rupture of IAs. Therefore, validating this new potential connection in humans has been enlightening." Georgios Sioutas, MD, primary author of the study and postdoctoral research fellow in neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania "Now that we have found more evidence for a link between IAs and GI disorders, we are eager to explore them further, hoping that early detection of GI syndromes might help identify patients at risk of IAs," said Jan-Karl Burkhardt, MD, the lead author of the study, associate professor of neurosurgery, and division head of cerebrovascular surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.