June 2020 Newsletter
Happy Father’s Day to all the DADs!
Do not forget to fly your American flag on the 14th in honor of our country, our troops, and our freedom!
Flag Day falls within National Flag Week, a time when Americans reflect on the foundations of the nation’s freedom. The flag of the United States represents freedom and has been an enduring symbol of the country’s ideals since its early days. During both events, Americans also remember their loyalty to the nation, reaffirm their belief in liberty and justice, and observe the nation’s unity. Although Flag Day is a nationwide observance, it is not a public holiday in many parts of the United States. It is a legal holiday in a few areas in the USA, such as Montour County in Pennsylvania.
June is Dysphagia Awareness Month
Don’t forget to spread the news throughout social media and use #dysphagiaawareness so all can be aware of this debilitating disorder. How are you helping recognize dysphagia awareness month? The best way to celebrate this month is to educate and advocate!
ABOVE and BEYOND by Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP - Patient, Caregiver, and Healthcare Professional Educational Reference Sheets and Handouts for Effective Dysphagia Rehabilitation. Over 30 handouts on specific disorders in dysphagia in ONE location to use in your practice, plus a resource section for SLP’s on cranial nerve testing, pharyngeal exercises, and treatment techniques. A need to have booklet in your therapy bag!! Cost: $40.00. (plus S&H). Discounted to $30.00 for MBSH Month. Call us, we will get one out to you!
DVD – What You Can Not See at Bedside- Copies of MBSS studies for education of staff and families on various disorders and clear episodes of penetrations and aspirations. Cost - $40.00 (plus S & H). Discounted to $30.00 for MBSH Month. Great educational tool for anyone! This is the same videos we presented at TSHA.
An SLP Should NEVER Lose Their Voice - Advocate for Proper Dysphagia Evaluations - Material to assist in educating Physicians, Administrators, Nurses and other Medical Professionals on Dysphagia and MBSS. Cost $30.00
Ampcare CE Training Locations & Dates
June 20, 2020 - Vidalia, GA
June 24 & 25, 2020 – Virtual Dysphagia CE (Pre-course work required)
KEEP FAMILIES CONNECTED
Let your facilities know this available to them and your residents!
COVID Recovery
This has been a challenging experience so far for all in the healthcare field, from PPE to caseloads. In these COVID times, the challenge for clinicians is the word “objectively.” Thorough clinicians can make solid clinical judgments based on good chart reviews, detailed discussions with medical team/family, and bedside swallowing evaluations that include a cranial nerve exam. Yet as it has always been, a bedside exam cannot objectively and completely evaluate the oropharyngeal swallow or 100 % rule-out aspiration.
We must keep in mind that age may be a risk factor for post-extubation dysphagia during the COVID recovery process and we should be more cautious regarding the risk for silent aspiration in those with COVID over 65. But doing dysphagia evaluations without a Modified Barium Swallow Study, can you verify aspiration? An MBSS is still a very important evaluation for dysphagia patients to have at this time. We are entering a new era and increased specialty area of iatrogenic dysphagia. This is difficulty swallowing caused by a medical treatment or treatments, such as prolonged intubation and/or traumatic intubation. Of approximately 220,000 survivors of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation each year in the US (5), 3% to 62% develop post extubation dysphagia. (Supannee Rassameehiran, MD et al, 2015)
DiagnosTEX will be seeing patients that have recovered from COVID-19 following hospitalization, whether due to pre-existing dysphagia, overall deconditioning from the Coronavirus infection or impaired airway protection secondary to prolonged intubation. DiagnosTEX will only see patients that have met the CDC criteria for “Discontinuation of Transmission Based Precautions” as outlined on the CDC website. Please see our COVID recovery packet.
As a physician-based medical practice, DiagnosTEX is proud to stand with you in caring for patients during the COVID 19 outbreak. Although many hospitals are limiting appointments for non-urgent procedures, safe oral intake is never 'elective.' Evaluation of at-risk patients is required to maintain safe PO feeding and decreasing the risk of life-threatening situations (such as aspiration, pneumonia, dehydration and malnutrition). We want you to feel confident in our dedication to the quality, safety, and oversight of infection control during this COVID 19 event when these patients come to you for rehab. Call us to help you properly diagnose your recovering COVID patients.