Course Description:

Dysphagia is not a disease in and of itself; therefore, it takes a collaborative effort with the medical team to reveal what is causing the dysphagia. One common cause could be iatrogenic (unintended adverse complications or side-effects from treatment, such as intubations or medications). Medications may be an overlooked reason for iatrogenic complications such as dysphagia, pneumonia, confusion, and falls. Healthcare workers can have a tremendous impact in this area of adverse drug reactions, potentially preventing or reducing drug-induced dysphagia and complications from the side effects of medications. Part of our job is to dig through a patient's medical record to uncover what could potentially be the underlying cause (s) of the symptom of dysphagia.
A medical record review should include the potential impact of medications according to the clinical guidelines set forth by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and clinical guidelines set by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. The Health and Social Care Information Centre in England found that contributions could prevent 15% of hospital admissions of people with dementia with dysphagia from a speech-language pathologist. Part of our prevention is identifying at-risk patients on medications that could contribute to aspiration and/or choking risks. Ruschena, et al. (2003) noted that the risk of choking in people with schizophrenia is higher due to the combination of the disease and the use of antipsychotics. As health professionals continue to enhance their knowledge of the potential risks for dysphagia across various diseases and disorders, the optimization of patient safety will also follow suit.