View clinical trials related to Dysphagia.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to test whether the incidence of sore throat and other tracheal co-morbidities such as dysphagia and hoarseness can be lessened by use of a cuff manometer at the beginning of surgery to inflate to the proper pressure compared to the standard technique. The investigators hypothesis is that inflation of the endotracheal balloon using a cuff manometer immediately after intubation will reduce the incidence of sore throat and other tracheal co-morbidities.
Two to 15% of subjects present dysphagia. In case of normal eso-gastro-duodenal endoscopy, patients with dysphagia are referred for esophageal motility testing. Esophageal manometry is the gold standard to evaluate esophageal motility in absence of esophageal obstruction. Two different techniques are available: the conventional manometry and the high resolution manometry. The second one may improve the diagnostic yield and the tolerance of examination in patients with dysphagia.
In this study supported by an American Cancer Society grant, the investigators are evaluating two levels of swallowing exercise intensity on the maintenance of swallowing muscles and their function in Head/Neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Patients in this study are randomly placed into different exercise groups and provided with exercises to perform daily during their radiation treatment. Their progress, diet management and swallowing ability are monitored throughout the treatment period and followed up until 3 months after radiation treatment. In addition to the daily treatment details, the patients perception of their swallowing ability and concerns about their health and treatment are also measured. This clinical trial will help to refine a previously investigated simple exercise package and provide a program of intervention that can help prevent medically related complications of swallowing difficulty (e.g. pneumonia, dehydration, prolonged tube feeding), and improve the ability to eat for patients with head / neck cancer. Ultimately it is hoped that this form of exercise therapy will help reduce the costs (personal and financial) to the patient, caregivers and community.
Neuromuscular Electrical stimulation (NMES) for swallowing has recently been proposed for the treatment of dysphagia post stroke and is clinically receiving favor as a treatment modality, in the absence of strong research support. This study aims to investigate the effect of NMES therapy for dysphagia upon recovery of swallowing function following stroke. The study will follow a pilot randomized controlled trial design. Fifty one patients admitted to a sub-acute rehabilitation facility will be clinically screened for dysphagia, and randomized into one of three groups, NMES, sham NMES or usual care -behavioral swallowing therapy arm. All patients will be treated for one hour per day for 3 weeks, and their progress and outcome will be monitored. The results will add to the preliminary data on the effectiveness of this form of swallowing treatment for patients following stroke, and has the potential to enable more efficient allocation of resources to post-acute rehabilitation and thus benefit afforded to stroke patients, and the community.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of taste on swallowing efficiency, to evaluate the effect of temperature on swallowing efficiency, and to evaluate the effect of viscosity on swallowing efficiency.
RATIONALE: Manuka honey may prevent or reduce esophagitis-related pain caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is not yet known whether Manuka honey is more effective than standard care in preventing pain. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II clinical trial is studying Manuka honey to see how well it works in preventing esophagitis-related pain in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy for lung cancer.
Introduction Patients with stroke may be silent aspirators or at risk for laryngeal penetration or aspiration because of abnormal oropharyngeal functioning and thus are at risk for aspiration pneumonia and its serious effects. By providing identification of the components of the abnormal swallow, and comparing swallowing across tasks, the investigators may avoid aspiration and can instruct patients on preventative or compensatory swallowing techniques. Materials and methods 1. Oral examination-A neurologist and speech pathologist examine the patient's swallowing function. The patient is interviewed about difficulties with food intake, chewing and swallowing during meals. 2. Ultrasound examination-Ultrasound creates image of areas inside the body using sound waves. With the patient in a sitting position, a 3/4-inch transducer (device for transmitting and receiving sound waves) is placed under the chin to visualize epiglottis movements during swallowing. 3. Modified barium swallow-While standing or sitting, the patient swallows 1/2 teaspoon of flavored barium (a radioactive substance) six times (a total of 3 teaspoons), while the tongue and pharynx (tube leading from the mouth to the esophagus) are scanned and videotaped at the same time epiglottis movement will be trace with ultrasound. The barium is given in three consistencies-thin, medium and thick (pudding-like). The investigators will study the oral, pharyngeal and upper esophageal phases of swallow using videofluoroscopy and correlate with ultrasound tracing of epiglottis movement in patients with stroke conditions. Most of the previous studies of swallowing have utilized diagnostic imaging technique to provide a complete swallowing assessment, but limited capabilities for screening large population of patients. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The Stroke Center inpatients and outpatients with known or suspected dysphagia can be included for study as well as patients who are admitted specifically for this protocol. (Difficulty swallowing food or pills,changed swallowing ability,coughing or choking when eating, shortness of breath during swallowing, food backing up into the mouth or nasal passage, fever or voice changes after swallowing, pain when swallowing, unexplained loss of weight. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients who are severely demented or severely compromised will be excluded if they do not have sufficient cognitive ability to follow directions. Non-ambulatory patients will be excluded if they cannot be braced or supported within the fluoroscopy unit. Highly agitated individuals will also be excluded if they are unable to remain confined in the equipment. Analytic Methods The Student t test will be used to analyze the difference in epiglottis movements during swallowing amongst different phases. Levene's test for equality of variances will be applied to examine the variability of epiglottis movements during swallowing between the groups. All statistical analysis will be performed with SPSS.
Inpatients in the neurology rehabilitation units at Riverview Health Center― people who are brain-injured and or who have had a stroke ― often have dysphagia as a result of their condition. They are considered at high risk of aspiration, which can result in pneumonia. To limit that risk, these patients are only allowed to consume thickened liquids at the beginning of their rehabilitation. They are restricted from consuming thin liquids, which means they can't even drink water. Depending on the rate of their rehabilitation, these restrictions can last from six months to a year. Patients on a diet of thickened liquids sometimes have difficulty consuming the required daily intake of fluids and they become dehydrated, which in turn can lead to other health complications. As well, thickened liquids do not always satisfy a patient's thirst, says Pooyania. While Riverview does not allow inpatients with dyspagia to have water at the beginning of their rehabilitation, many rehab facilities in Canada and the U.S. follow the "Frazier Free Water Protocol," which does allow patients unrestricted water intake prior to and 30 minutes after meals. The belief that this protocol is safe is based on research done at the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, where a study demonstrated no difference in rates of aspiration pneumonia between an experimental group on a free water protocol and a control group. The Frazer study was only one randomized controlled trial with a very limited number of patients. There have been a few case reports as well, but at Riverview centre, the protocol is not accepted because the investigators don't believe there is enough evidence behind it. The investigators intend to provide more clinical evidence so that both the risks and benefits of a free water protocol can be assessed. The investigators will be screening patients admitted to the neurology rehabilitation units at RCH, including both the stroke and acquired brain injury programs. The investigators expect to find at least 30 suitable candidates. Participants will be educated about dysphagia and the free water protocol, and the treatment group will be allowed unrestricted water intake prior to and 30 minutes after meals. Individualized intervention to minimize aspiration will be provided. Daily and weekly monitoring and testing of all patients will take place. The pilot study will continue for 11 months. A secondary objective of the research is to determine the feasibility of expanding into a multi-centre clinical trial
High Resolution Manometry is a new technology that utilizes 36 solid state sensors on a thin catheter spaced at 1-cm intervals. One can more effectively measure the pressure of the esophagus. It includes a sophisticated software to display the pressures data as color topography plot using time, length of the esophagus and pressure within the entire esophagus. It is unclear if this technology improvement actually correlates with patient's symptoms.
Dysphagia is a common reason for referal to the investigators Gastoenterology service. As many as 14% of patients undergoing radiological studies for dysphagia are found to have schatzki rings. Current recommendations for treatment of patients with symptomatic Schatzki rings are based on ancedotal experience and uncontrolled studies. The only randomized study on comparison of techniques the investigators were able to locate was published in 2000 and included only 26 patients. This study demonstrated that the biopsy techinque was as effective as and better tolerated than the standard dilation technique. Considering that the cost and time required for dilatation is greater than the basic biopsy technique, significant cost savings could be achieved using the biopsy technique. As well, patient satisfaction is an important factor considering that Schatzki rings can recur and repeated endoscopy is often required. Therefore, a study that shows a technique to be as or better than the current standard in effectiveness, cost, time, and patient comfort could lead to shift in current practice.