This trio of SIG 13 articles provides information regarding managing and treating dysphagia with adult patients. First, Abrams and co-authors underscore the importance of hydration and discovered that individuals consuming thickened liquids are often at risk for dehydration. Factors to increase fluid intake through different strategies are discussed. Next, Arguello and Kerr discuss the mechanism of a facial burn injury and how it may cause functional impairments that can be directly impacted through early intervention utilizing speech-language pathology services. Finally, Warner and colleagues completed a pilot study investigating the prevalence of pretreatment dysphagia in oncologic patients and individual factors influencing post treatment dysphagia.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• summarize and demonstrate strategies to mitigate dehydration and reduced fluid intake in long-term care residents who drink thickened liquids
• describe the breadth and depth of speech-language pathologist impact in skilled burn care
• identify clinical factors that are associated with pretreatment and posttreatment dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancer

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

Articles in This Course

1. Factors Associated With Resident Intake of Thickened Liquids in Long-Term Care by Sophia Werden Abrams, Heather Keller, Natalie Carrier, Christina Lengyel, Susan E. Slaughter, and Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald, published in SIG 13, Volume 8, Issue 3, June 2023
2. A Novel Adjunct for Treatment of Orofacial Contractures After a Facial Burn Injury by Lori Ann Arguello, Harold S. Pine, Carli Rose Beckett and Kathleen Mary Kerr, published in SIG 13, Volume 8, Issue 5, October 2023
3. Prevalence and Predicting Factors of Pretreatment Dysphagia in Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer: A Pilot Study by Heather L. Warner, Lauren Romanelli, Katherine Adams, Jingyuan Xiao, and Nwanmegha Young, published in SIG 13, Published online February 21, 2024