Oral and Gastrointestinal
Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)
March 1999
Clinical Focus*
- How does diagnosis of dysphagia or aspiration affect the subsequent course of treatment and outcomes?
- What are the appropriate indications for having patients diagnosed using a full bedside exam, the modified barium swallow, fiberoptic endoscopy, or another instrumented exam?
- Is there any evidence that one diagnostic technology provides more useful information than another?
- When is noninvasive swallow therapy appropriate? Does it work particularly well or particularly poorly in any particular patient population? What can the evidence tell us about this therapy? Are feeding tubes useful, or a last resort that might be avoided for some patients by dysphagia diagnosis and therapy?
*Addressed in the summary or evidence report.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) in Acute-Care Stroke Patients
Summary (Publication No. 99-E023, March 1999)
Evidence Report (Publication No. 99-E024, July 1999)
Selected Publications
EPC: ECRI
Topic Nominator: American Academy of Family Physicians
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