Stepping Stones to Living Well with Dysphagia

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a major complaint among many patients suffering from neurological diseases as well as in the elderly. Its severity ranges from moderate difficulty to complete inability to swallow, and it may give rise to clinically relevant complications such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and/or dehydration, impaired quality of life, and death. However, despite its high prevalence and even though it would be very cost-effective to avoid complications by adequate treatment, dysphagia is still severely underdiagnosed. The contributions in this book present and discuss state-of-the-art diagnostic methods, treatment, and care of dysphagia patients, putting special emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach. A variety of clinical specialists will find this publication a most valuable addition to their library, including nurses, speech-language pathologists, dieticians, nutritionists, gastroenterologists and related specialties.