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[Dysphagia] Food and barium
Chris and Claire Langdon <chris_claire@bigpond.com> wrote:
The modified barium swallow, as I developed it, utilizes standardized amounts and viscosities of barium and always has. Then for patients with particular complaints of swallowing difficulty with certain foods we began to add barium to those foods. And, as part of the research protocol for the large clinical trial we are running with patients who have dementia and/or Parkinson's disease, we worked with E-Z Em, Inc., to produce standardized barium viscosities of nectar and honey (JoAnne Robbins' lab- UW Madison ) and pudding barium (Jeri Logemann's lab-Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois) and attempted to improve the flavor of bariums as well. The entire purpose has always been to understand the normal swallow and its variants and how the patient's swallow differs from normal. We still have many questions about normal swallow physiology and the ways it changes systematically or randomly with bolus characteristics.
*** I refer you to Robbins article in the SID 13 letter about this study and the use of thickeners as well as the contribution of E-Z EM inc.
Please note there is nothing that is harmless when it comes to aspiration, including barium.
*** In a few individuals, inhalation of barium has produced an allergic reaction. In the majority, it is innocuous to the point that, before current bronchograms were developed, the lung was filled with barium in suspension and x-rayed. Water is harmless unless contaminated. I would suggest that Dr Logemann read the near drowning literature as well as basic respiratory physiology. Reaction to aspiration is highly individual and must never be considered in isolation. And, what no-one ever addresses is - what do you do about the saliva that is being aspirated constantly by the dysphagic patient? If there is a harmful substance to aspirate, this is it - the leading cause of pneumonia in compromised persons.
Dr I Campbell-Taylor
Clinical Neuroscientist
Exclusive Distributor:
www.interactivetherapy.com
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