The Essentials: Dysphagia and CVA

Video Runtime: 35 Minutes, Learning Assessments: 12 Minutes

Dysphagia is a symptom, not a disease unto itself. Difficulty swallowing can be a symptom of a wide variety of medical diagnoses. The underlying diagnosis is a critical factor to consider when developing a treatment approach. Dysphagia clinicians must guard against a “one-size-fits-all” approach and instead develop an understanding of the causative factors and pathophysiology of swallowing disorders in each disease process.

This course will discuss dysphagia in the setting of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or stroke. The characteristics of dysphagia in stroke will be reviewed in light of stroke type and location. Specific considerations for assessment of patients with stroke will be reviewed, including the importance of swallow screening in this population. The evidence base for treatment strategies specific to stroke will be provided, with a focus on exercise and sensory enhancements, in addition to compensatory strategies and diet modification. Participants will be provided with an opportunity for problem-solving through case review.

This course is appropriate for dysphagia clinicians working in medical settings, including acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation, and long-term care.