Thread by @lauraclarke_rd

#dysphagiadietitian - a thread 🧵
Please note - it’s the first time doing a thread so hopefully I’ll get it right!

I just HAD to share a case study from a visit this week. This one in particular has to be the most rewarding yet in my extended role. Considering it’s dietitians week and following on from the #extendedroles hype! ✨

Patient with a PEG in place due to poly trauma following a serious RTA. Meeting all needs (nutrition, hydration and meds) via PEG. Nil by mouth for diet and fluids. Sent home from acute care with exercises to improve swallow. 🏥

3 months post discharge I visit for dietetic and dysphagia review. Super compliant with exercises and significant improvement in their dysphagia. 👏🏼

Spent over an hour for assessment - bedside assessment outcome was small single sips of level 0 thin fluid and level 7 regular diet. 🥛🍴

The patient had put in so much hard work doing the exercises advised by the acute team SaLT @DBTH_AHPs and it really paid off! 🗣

After not having anything orally for 6 months, that first cup of tea and a biscuit! Well, no explanation needed. ☕️🍪

So me and the patient made the joint decision to use their enteral feeds/fluids as a bolus, only if they can’t manage 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, and adequate fluids. But we both are very convinced the enteral feed/fluids probably won’t be needed! 🧀🍓🥪🧁🫖

My question on leaving the patient’s home - what’s for tea tonight? Their response - what time does the chippy open? 😂

So it’s very high job satisfaction for me, patient satisfaction pretty excellent I reckon, and we saved a 2.5 hour round trip of our SaLT team’s @RDaSH_SALT clinical time! ⏰

So many benefits of having #extendedroles - for patients, clinicians and the wider AHP and NHS objectives! 🎉 #DW2022 #DietitiansWeek2022 #WhatDietitiansDo @SYB_ICS_AHPs @BDA_Dietitians @RCSLT @rdash_nhs @RDaSH_DoncCG @RDaSH_SALT @rdash_dietetics 💫

(P.s. the patient is on close monitoring and the patient’s case and my assessment has been reviewed and agreed by my senior SaLT) 😊