The Interaction of Pulmonary Physiology and Swallowing: A Juggling Act for the Physician and Speech-Language Pathologist

Abstract Patients who are dependent upon tracheostomy and/or ventilator use present a particular challenge to health-care providers. The interaction of pulmonary physiology and deglutition is complex, as illustrated in the course of patients who are in the weaning process. Speech language pathologists (SLPs) should work closely with their physician colleagues to understand the influence of multiple medical co-morbidities on intervention. In traditional medicine, the clinician's objective is to connect a patient's many symptoms and complaints to a single disease entity. However, in caring for the ventilator dependent geriatric population, a symptom such as dysphagia typically results from the interplay of various, multi-organ symptoms, and conditions. This article strives to demonstrate the “juggling act” that the physician and SLP must balance between the patient's current medical condition, pulmonary dysfunction, and disordered swallowing. Clinical case studies illustrate the benefit of swallowing interv...