[Dysphagia] Re: Food and Barium

[eripley at yahoo.com (Irene Campbell-Taylor)]

Andrea Tobochnik <andreamoll@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Almost always, our VFSS patients are eating PO diets, so if we weren't 
giving them food during the study, they'd be in their hospital room or 
at home eating food anyway. To me, the small amount of food presented 
during the VFSS seems negligible in the greater scheme of things.

*** Given the near hysteria about aspiration that I find wherever I go, I find the above surprising. One cannot know what bacteria are introduced into a patient who may have poor resistance either in or on food. The more important point is that the food mixed with barium bears no resemblance to the food without barium in viscosity, rheology, shear, mouthfeel or any other measure. Swallowing or not swallowing food impregnated with barium shows only that the patient can or cannot swallow food impregnated with barium under the artificial conditions of the VFSS.

 And again, I seem to be getting no answer to my basic question - Where and why did the practice start - especially since it has no foundation whatsoever in physiology or research?



Dr I Campbell-Taylor
Clinical Neuroscientist
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www.interactivetherapy.com