Contemporary Approaches to Dysphagia Management

Dysphagia, the impairment of food passage from the mouth to the stomach, may have serious consequences. Through early detection, diagnoses, and treatment, the astute clinician may be instrumental in preventing the complications of dysphagia, which include aspiration, pneumonia, hospitalization, feeding tube insertion, and even untimely death. Even years after diagnoses and treatment, the clinician may initiate therapy options that can be so dramatic as to reverse downgraded diets, nothing-by-mouth status, and even long-term tube feedings.