Factors associated with having uncontrolled asthma in rural Appalachia.

Background: Chronic respiratory disease disproportionately affects residents of Appalachia, particularly those residing in Central Appalachia. Asthma is particularly burdensome to Central Appalachian residents regarding cost and disability. Improving our understanding of how to mitigate these burdens requires understanding the factors influencing asthma control among individuals with asthma living in Central Appalachia, specifically rural Kentucky.

Dysphagia in COVID-19 Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are infrequently nourished via oral feeding due to aspiration risks. Patients with COVID-19 and on ECMO represent a subpopulation that has additional factors that may affect their swallow function. This study aimed to describe the swallow function and ability to maintain oral feeding in patients with COVID-19 while on ECMO.

A Survey of Feeding Practices During High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy.

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is used to deliver warm and humidified gases to patients in respiratory failure. A purported advantage of HFNC oxygen therapy is that it can allow for oral feeding while on the device, although few data support this practice. The purpose of this study was to identify practices and opinions with regard to feeding practices during HFNC oxygen therapy.

A Multidisciplinary Team-Based Approach to Improve Communication With Surrogates of Patients With Chronic Critical Illness.

Background: Clinicians need to deliver prognostic information to surrogates of nondecisional, critically ill patients so that surrogates can make informed medical decisions that reflect the patient's values. Our objective was to implement a new approach for communicating with surrogates of patients with chronic critical illness.

Methods: Surrogate decision makers of patients who were difficult to liberate from mechanical ventilation were prospectively enrolled.

Functional and physiological outcomes from an exercise-based dysphagia therapy: a pilot investigation of the McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program.

Objective: To investigate functional and physiological changes in swallowing performance of adults with chronic dysphagia after an exercise-based dysphagia therapy.

Design: Intervention study: before-after trial with 3-month follow-up evaluation.

Setting: Outpatient clinic within a tertiary care academic health science center.

Treatment of vocal fold bowing using neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effectiveness and safety of a novel behavioral voice therapy program combining structured vocal exercise with adjunctive neuromuscular electrical stimulation for rehabilitating dysphonia secondary to vocal fold bowing.

Design: Prospective interventional clinical case series with a 3-month follow-up.

Setting: Outpatient speech and hearing clinic in an academic medical center.

Cross-system effects of dysphagia treatment on dysphonia: a case report.

Traditionally, treatment of dysphagia and dysphonia has followed a specificity approach whereby treatment plans have focused on each dysfunction individually. Recently however, a therapeutic cross-system effect has been proposed between these two dysfunctions. At least one study has demonstrated swallowing improvement in subjects who completed a dysphonia treatment program.