 Dysphagia Assessment and Treatment Planning: A Team Approach, Fourth Edition is ideal for graduate dysphagia courses in speech-language pathology programs. The unique value of this book is the multidisciplinary approach it presents. Too often, speech-language pathologists function clinically with insufficient interaction with, or understanding of, the roles of other professionals involved with their patients. This text incorporates information pertinent to the roles, tools, and views of a multidisciplinary dysphagia team, including physicians, speech pathologists, nurse specialists, and dieticians, that work together on a daily basis.
In this fourth edition the organization has changed, with chapters concerned with assessment techniques coming first, and material addressing special populations comprising the latter portion of the text. This reflects what is likely a more typical approach to dysphagia in graduate courses concerned with the topic, and one that complements teaching of the subject matter.
Updates to the Fourth Edition include:
The treatment chapter (Ch. 10) has been updated to reflect the current status of therapeutic approaches previously considered in treating dysphagic patients.
Chapters dealing with nursing (Ch. 11) and nutrition (Ch. 12) have been updated to incorporate the latest recommendations in nursing care and dietary considerations for patients experiencing dysphagia.
The pediatrics chapter (Ch. 13) has been expanded to address specific problems and needs not only of infants, but also the entire spectrum of childhood.
A chapter devoted to the esophagus (Ch. 14) addresses new information on the management of esophageal disorders, including the novel double-balloon dilation of the UES, and a device for manually opening the upper esophagus.
Chapters addressing special populations, including neurogenic disease (Ch. 15) and head and neck cancer (Ch. 16), incorporate the latest information regarding dysphagia and approaches to treatment pertinent to each group.
A brand-new addition to the book is Ch. 18 which addresses dysphagia associated with alterations to the spine as a consequence of either disease or surgery.
A major new inclusion in the current edition are materials utilizing a new software program, called Swallowtail, that permits the all-in-one measurement, display and storage of timing, displacement and other measures from fluoroscopic studies.
