[Dysphagia] rumination

[pressmah at sjhmc.org (Pressman, Hilda)]

I apologize for this very delayed response but life has been busy.  Yes, ruminators are at increased risk because if the aspirate the material it contains acid which is much worse for the lungs.  We have found that ruminators respond to meds such as prevacid, prilosec or nexium.  This does not stop the reflux but removes the acid.  Other medications that are useful include Reglan to improve clearance of the material into and then out of the stomach.  We have found that rumination cannot be worked on as a behavioral issue until the client is appropriately medicated.
Hilda Pressman, MA, CCC SLP BRS-S
Nutritional Management Associates, LLC
www.nutritinalmanagement.org

-----Original Message-----
From: dysphagia-bounces@b9.com [mailto:dysphagia-bounces@b9.com]On
Behalf Of Balch, Lucy
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 3:15 PM
To: 'h egnor'; Balch, Lucy; 'dysphagia@b9.com'
Subject: RE: [Dysphagia] rumination


Some of you have responded to my 5/16 post by asking "what is rumination?"
Rumination is a phenomenon that occurs in the MR population. I had never
seen it until I began working in an MR facility. It might have a more formal
name, but "rumination" is what it was called when I started and that name
stuck.

A person is a ruminator when they purposefully bring their stomach contents
back up after a meal to "play" with them. You can watch as they work up the
belches that bring the food up, gargle it around, then eventually swallow it
back down. After working around it for years, I think it's done for oral
gratification (but that's only my personal opinion).

Sometimes doctors recommend Nissen Fundoplications to stop the behaviors,
but they only work sometimes.

My question on my post was: Can rumination increase a person's risk of
aspiration pneumonitis?  Is that risk greater than the risk of pneumonitis
from PEG feeding with GERD?

Thanks!

Lucy Balch, MA, CCC/SLP

Hiram Davis Medical Center

Petersburg, VA 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: h egnor [mailto:slpwebmail@yahoo.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 1:18 PM
To: Balch, Lucy; 'dysphagia@b9.com'
Subject: Re: [Dysphagia] rumination

 

What is rumination? 

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