Stroke Patients Who Have Swallowing Problems Less Likely To Develop Chest Infections Thanks To New Technology

Main Category: Stroke
Also Included In: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy;  Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 12 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Recovering stroke patients and others who find it hard to swallow when they eat and drink are now at a lower risk of developing pneumonia or chest infections, thanks to new technology which will help assess and treat their swallowing difficulties. Many patients suffering from stroke, head injury or major trauma often have swallowing difficulties when food and drink can go down the wrong way - patients can later develop nasty chest infections and pneumonias.

Having received joint funding totalling £80,000 from Barts and The London Charity and The Philip King Charitable Trust, a top of the range portable Digital Swallowing Workstation has been purchased for the Speech and Language Therapy Department at The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, east London. This will aid and enhance assessment and help treat those patients with complex swallowing difficulties.

Although some other hospitals also have the equipment, Acting Head of Speech and Language Therapy Juliet Lawson said:

"It really is fantastic that we now have this highly sophisticated equipment thanks to grant funding. It will help clinicians treat their patients more effectively. More objective assessments will mean more objective therapy and it can be used on the wards as well as in our department with a range of patient groups.

"Between five and 10 patients each month will benefit from this equipment once it is up and running. It means their rehabilitation will be speeded up too. This machine will help us assess and treat each patient's needs in more detail.

"People tend to take eating and drinking for granted but it can be devastating for patients who have difficulties. With this new technology, we can develop our service further and enhance our patient-centred care."

The digital swallowing station provides a multifaceted set of technologies such as FEES (fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing), digital recording facilities and a swallowing signals laboratory which can be used from initial assessment through to rehabilitation.

Barts and the London Charity's Director of Grants, Dr Veronica McCabe said it was easy to see why the machine will be invaluable to the hospital.

Dr McCabe said:

"We were very pleased to be able to work with the Philip King Charitable Trust to support this exciting initiative in a clinical area we have not traditionally funded. We are always looking for innovative projects that will develop the clinical services at the Trust and provide a better experience for patients."

Source
http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk