[Dysphagia] Logemann results

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

These are the patients most often found in LTC ? and the Parkinson?s with dementia is actually the parkinsonian stage of dementing illness. I don?t believe anyone has made general statements about all dysphagic patients ? simply that, contrary to popular belief, thickened fluids are aspirated, the thicker more than the thinner (as Perlman proved years ago), and, as the authors say, it is probable that the lungs? ciliary motion cannot clear the gum-based thickener used. If so, this would apply to all since lung function is not affected by dementing illness. 
The importance of the findings is mainly to point out that the almost universl belief that thickening prevents aspiration is false and that dehydration is a constant danger.

Dr I Campbell-Taylor
Clinical Neuroscientist
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