initial stages
Last reviewed 01/2018
If there is any doubt about the safety of the swallow then the patient should not take anything orally and should be provided with intravenous fluids.
There should be immediate assessment of the swallowing and gag reflexes by a speech therapist, which should be repeated as often as every day where possible. The speech therapist will determine whether it is safe to commence an oral diet, in which case they will also advise on the type of nutrition to be introduced - fluids, solids, etc.
If dysphagia persists more than a few days, enteral feeding should be considered. This decision becomes, in some circumstances, an ethical problem that should be carefully addressed.