CCC Swallowing and Feeding Disorders 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which compensatory technique involves the patient holding their breath before and during the swallow to protect the airway?
- Effortful swallow
- Supraglottic swallow (Correct answer)
- Mendelsohn maneuver
- Shaker exercise
Correct answer: Supraglottic swallow
The supraglottic swallow involves volitional breath hold before swallowing to close the airway, followed by a cough after the swallow.
Question 2: The Shaker exercise (head-lifting exercise) targets strengthening of which muscle group to improve swallowing?
- Tongue intrinsic muscles
- Suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles to improve laryngeal elevation and UES opening (Correct answer)
- Pharyngeal constrictors only
- Cricopharyngeus muscle directly
Correct answer: Suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles to improve laryngeal elevation and UES opening
The Shaker exercise strengthens suprahyoid muscles to improve hyolaryngeal excursion, which aids upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening.
Question 3: Which population is at highest risk for aspiration pneumonia secondary to dysphagia?
- Healthy young adults
- Elderly patients with neurological conditions in care facilities (Correct answer)
- School-age children with DLD
- Adults with voice disorders
Correct answer: Elderly patients with neurological conditions in care facilities
Elderly individuals with neurological conditions (stroke, dementia, Parkinson's) in institutional settings have the highest aspiration pneumonia risk.
Question 4: The IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) framework provides standardized terminology for:
- Swallowing exercise protocols
- Texture-modified food and thickened liquid levels (Correct answer)
- Instrumental assessment procedures
- Oral motor treatment approaches
Correct answer: Texture-modified food and thickened liquid levels
IDDSI defines eight standardized levels (0–7) of texture-modified foods and thickened liquids to improve communication and safety in dysphagia management.
Question 5: Cricopharyngeal dysfunction (CP dysfunction) refers to impairment of which structure's ability to open during swallowing?
- Epiglottis
- Upper esophageal sphincter (Correct answer)
- Glottis
- Velopharyngeal port
Correct answer: Upper esophageal sphincter
Cricopharyngeal dysfunction involves failure of the cricopharyngeus muscle (main component of the UES) to relax and open during swallowing, causing bolus retention in the pharynx.
Question 6: Which ethical principle guides the SLP to respect a patient's right to refuse texture-modified diets or thickened liquids despite aspiration risk?
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy respects the patient's right to make informed decisions about their care, including accepting risk of aspiration for quality of life.
CCC Swallowing and Feeding Disorders 2
Which compensatory technique involves the patient holding their breath before and during the swallow to protect the airway?