Thirst Interventions in Adult Acute Care-What Are the Recommended Management Options and How Effective Are They?: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to review the scope and quality of evidence for thirst treatment in adult acute care.

Methods: A systematic review was completed by 2 independent reviewers using MEDLINE, PubMed, BNI, EMBASE, EMCARE, and CINAHL databases and additional hand searching in June 2020. Interventions to relieve thirst for inpatients receiving acute care were included.

Swallowing and Voice Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: An Observational Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate the presentations and outcomes of inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presenting with dysphonia and dysphagia to investigate trends and inform potential pathways for ongoing care.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting: An inner-city National Health Service Hospital Trust in London, United Kingdom.

Tracheostomy, ventilatory wean, and decannulation in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation can overwhelm existing bed capacity. We aimed to better understand the factors that influence the trajectory of tracheostomy care in this population to facilitate capacity planning and improve outcomes.

Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study of patients in a high-volume centre in the worst-affected region of the UK including all patients that underwent tracheostomy for COVID-19 pneumonitis ventilatory wean from 1st March 2020 to 10th May 2020.

Surface Electromyographic Biofeedback and the Effortful Swallow Exercise for Stroke-Related Dysphagia and in Healthy Ageing.

Dysphagia is common after stroke, leading to adverse outcome. The Effortful Swallow (ES) is recommended to improve swallowing but it is not known if dysphagic patients can increase muscle activity during the exercise or if age affects performance. Providing surface electromyographic (sEMG) biofeedback during dysphagia therapy may enhance exercise completion, but this has not been investigated and the technique's acceptability to patients is not known.

Role of speech and language therapy in managing dysphagia and dysphonia in lung cancer.

A 75-year-old person was referred to speech and language therapy for voice rehabilitation following diagnosis of unilateral vocal cord palsy, secondary to relapsed non-small-cell lung cancer. On assessment, the patient presented with moderate-severe dysphonia. In addition, they presented with moderate pharyngeal stage dysphagia with risk of silent aspiration, which was successfully managed using a simple head turn strategy.

Dysphagia in Duchenne muscular dystrophy assessed by validated questionnaire.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) leads to progressive muscular weakness and death, most typically from respiratory complications. Dysphagia is common in DMD; however, the most appropriate swallowing assessments have not been universally agreed and the symptoms of dysphagia remain under-reported.

Aims: To investigate symptoms of dysphagia in DMD and to determine the potential of the validated Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) to diagnose dysphagia in this patient group.

Dysphagia in Duchenne muscular dystrophy assessed objectively by surface electromyography.

Objective swallowing assessment is indicated in the management of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Surface electromyography (sEMG) provides a non-invasive, objective method of quantifying muscle activity. It was hypothesised that the measurement of sEMG activity during swallowing would distinguish between preserved and disordered swallow function in DMD.