Aspiration Episodes

What happens when we can’t stop aspiration?In this episode, Eva and Emily talk about chronic aspiration and what happens when small, repeated events start to add up. From inflammation and airway damage to serious complications like pneumonitis and lung abscess, we break down what’s really happening in the lungs.We also connect the research to real clinical practice—what this means for your patients, how to approach treatment, and why oral care will forever be in the mix when talking about aspiration.

Does a “wet” voice really mean your patient is aspirating?In this episode, Eva and Emily unpack research that challenges one of the most common clinical signs used in dysphagia assessment, wet vocal quality. Turns out, what we’ve been trained to hear might not be as reliable as we think.The need for instrumentals hasn't gone away, but the biggest national providers of mobile FEEs has...So what happens when we know we can't solely rely on bedside exams and access to gold standard tools is limited?Let's talk about it.Citations:Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Skilled nursing facility consolidated billing. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ⁠https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/skilled-nursing-facility-snf-consolidated-billing⁠American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2023). The case for FEES in skilled nursing facilities. ⁠https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.OTP.28072023.fees-snf-slp.36/full/⁠Weldon, K., Kelchner, L., Si…