[Dysphagia] Liquids and meals

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

Generally speaking,to prevent liquids being mixed with food, one would give all liquids before the meal since liquid passes through the stomach faster than solids - at least in the normal population. One can infer the same probability with the elderly but there are other variables to consider - whether or not the liquid is nutritive or not, which mealtime since gastric emptying varies from time to time during the day, whether or not the patient is able to sit up for at least an hour after the meal, does he/she have marked post prandial hypotension etc. etc. In other words, like everything else, it varies from patient to patient.

Dr I Campbell-Taylor
Clinical Neuroscientist
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