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Speech-Language Pathologists’ Estimates Of Bolus Sizes Used During Dysphagia Evaluations, Joyanna E. Struzzieri

Theses & Honors Papers

Dysphagia evaluations play an important role in the assessment and treatment of people with swallowing problems. Protocols and methods for assessment vary greatly among clinicians, however, all assessments involve trials of food and liquid boluses given across different consistencies and in varying amounts. Thin and thick liquids, thin puree, thick puree or pudding, and solid consistencies are widely utilized for dysphagia evaluations. The amounts of food and liquids that are given drive therapeutic recommendations for bite and sip sizes. It is unknown if the bite and sip sizes used during dysphagia assessments also vary among SLPs and/or if these amounts …