#speechpathology

As a follow up to Swallowing Awareness Day, this is what it looks like inside when we swallow! This is called a Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) or Modified Barium Swallow (MBS), which is a bit like an X-ray video that speech pathologists can use to observe a person’s swallowing, and make note of any impairment that could place them at risk of choking or aspirating food or fluid into their lungs. Speechies use VFSS to assess the ‘safety’ of someone’s swallow and to make decisions or recommendations about diet modifications such as puréed food or thickened fluids, in order to prevent choking, or aspirating and the development of pneumonia as a result. How cool are bodies? How cool is technology?? #swallowingawarenessday #dysphagia #speechpathology #900swallows . . . [Video description: short x-ray video of a person’s head and neck facing sideways, as they swallow a mouthful of fluid. The video shows the dark fluid as it travels down the person’s throat.]

Yeeeaaahhhh so we’re gonna stay with NPO for now. 

*Resists temptation not to comment on “impaired judgment” in my documentation*

Education-seeking new grad RN: You can stay. I shall enlighten thee with swallowology knowledge!

Raise your hand if your professors harped on this terminology when you were in school but then you entered the real word to realize NOBODY uses these terms clinically!