Aspiration can be treated by means of managing its medical cause. For instance, giving medications to stop or control acid reflux can resolve dysphagia and prevent aspiration. 2. Referral to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) or speech and language therapy (SALT) team.
Full Answer
What are the treatments for aspiration?
These include: Treatment for aspiration depends on the cause. Severe cases may require surgery. This may be to create a flap closure so food doesn’t fall in your airways. If someone aspirates while unconscious, turn them on one side. This helps fluids leave the body and lungs.
What are the therapeutic nursing interventions for aspiration risk?
The following are the therapeutic nursing interventions for aspiration risk: Keep suction machine available when feeding high-risk patients. If aspiration does occur, suction immediately. A patient with aspiration needs immediate suctioning and will need further lifesaving interventions such as intubation.
What is the criteria for aspiration care plan?
Risk for Aspiration Care Plan: Data Gathering Subjective data: pain in the chest; breath shortness; general complexions in breathing. Objective data: blueness of fingers, lips, and face overall; sounds coming from the lungs (e.g. crackles); dyspnea/ tachypnea; low levels of oxygen saturation; unpleasant and putrid sputum.
What to do if a patient has aspiration pneumonia?
A patient with aspiration needs immediate suctioning and will need further lifesaving interventions such as intubation. Inform the physician or other health care provider instantly of noted decrease in cough/gag reflexes or difficulty in swallowing. Early intervention protects the patient’s airway and prevents aspiration.
How do you treat someone who aspirated?
Treatment includes supplemental oxygen, steroids, or help from a breathing machine. Depending on the cause of chronic aspiration, you may require surgery. For example, you may get surgery for a feeding tube if you have swallowing problems that don't respond to treatment.
What are the nursing interventions for aspiration?
Nursing Interventions for Risk For AspirationKeep suctioning equipment at the bedside. ... Performing suctioning as necessary. ... Keep the head of the bed elevated after feeding. ... Implement other feeding techniques. ... Consult with speech therapy. ... Follow diet modifications. ... Position properly.More items...•
What does a nurse do if a patient aspirates?
Keep suction machine available when feeding high-risk patients. If aspiration does occur, suction immediately. A patient with aspiration needs immediate suctioning and will need further lifesaving interventions such as intubation.
How do you treat aspiration precautions?
Sit the person upright in a chair; if confined to bed, elevate the backrest to a 90-degree angle. Implement postural changes that improve swallowing. For example, a chin-down posture is helpful for patients with a tongue base swallowing disorder (Aslam & Vaesi, 2013).
What is the best position to prevent aspiration?
Body positions that minimize aspiration include the reclining position, chin down, head rotation, side inclination, the recumbent position, and combinations of these. Patients with severe dysphagia often use a 30° reclining position.
What nursing interventions are required for a patient with possible swallowing deficits?
More interventions:Avoidance of certain foods or fluids.Upright position during eating.Allowance of time to eat slowly and chew thoroughly.Provision of high-calorie meals.Use of fluids to help facilitate passage of solid foods.Monitoring of the patient for weight loss or dehydration.
What is aspiration precaution?
What do I need to know about aspiration precautions? Aspiration means that foods or fluids get into your airway. This can lead to trouble breathing or lung infections such as pneumonia. Aspiration precautions are practices that help prevent these problems.
How is aspiration pneumonia treated?
Treatment depends on how severe the pneumonia is and how ill the person is before the aspiration (chronic illness). Sometimes a ventilator (breathing machine) is needed to support breathing. You will likely receive antibiotics. You may need to have your swallowing function tested.
What is the best prevention for aspiration pneumonia?
To reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia, maintenance of good oral hygiene is important and medications affecting salivary flow or causing sedation are best avoided, if possible. The use of H2 blockers and proton-pump inhibitors should be minimised.
What is the main goal when caring for patients at risk for aspiration?
Prevention is the main goal when caring for patients at risk for aspiration. Evidence shows that one of the principal precautionary measures for aspiration is placing at-risk patients in a semirecumbent position.
How to prevent aspiration?
Mixing pills with food helps reduce risk for aspiration. Stop continual feeding temporarily when turning or moving patient. When turning or moving a patient, it is difficult to keep the head elevated to prevent regurgitation and possible aspiration. Provide oral care before and after meals.
Why do you need antiemetics for gastric aspiration?
Nausea or vomiting places patients at great risk for aspiration, especially if the level of consciousness is compromised. Antiemetics may be required to prevent aspiration of regurgitated gastric contents.
What are the conditions that can be caused by a tracheostomy?
Chronic conditions, like altered consciousness from head injury, spinal cord injury, neuromuscular weakness, hemiplegia, and dysphagia from stroke, use of tube feedings for nutrition, and artificial airway devices such as tracheostomies, may be experienced in the home, rehabilitative, or hospital setting. ADVERTISEMENTS.
What is aspiration pneumonia?
Aspiration is breathing in a foreign object such as foods or liquids into the trachea and lungs and happens when protective reflexes are reduced or jeopardized. An infection that develops after an entry of food, liquid, or vomit into the lungs can result in aspiration pneumonia.
Why is an assessment required for nursing?
Assessment is required in order to distinguish possible problems that may have lead to aspiration as well as name any episode that may occur during nursing care. Assess level of consciousness. The primary risk factor of aspiration is decreased level of consciousness. Monitor respiratory rate, depth, and effort.
What are the risk factors for aspiration?
The primary risk factor of aspiration is decreased level of consciousness. Monitor respiratory rate, depth, and effort. Note any signs of aspiration such as dyspnea, cough, cyanosis, wheezing, or fever.
Expected Outcomes
Patient will not experience aspiration as observed by clear lung sounds, unlabored breathing, and oxygen saturation within normal limits
Nursing Assessment for Risk For Aspiration
1. Identify patients at an increased risk for aspiration. Patients with impaired swallowing (dysphagia) from a stroke, Parkinson’s disease, or spinal cord injury or suffering neurological damage with the inability to clear secretions require assessment and monitoring when providing anything by mouth.
Nursing Interventions for Risk For Aspiration
1. Keep suctioning equipment at the bedside. Patients at an increased risk for aspirating should have functioning suctioning equipment at the bedside for immediate use.
References and Sources
Maegan Wagner is registered nurse with over 10 years of healthcare experience. She earned her BSN at Western Governors University.
How to improve aspiration in children?
Treatment and outlook. Aspiration in children may get better over time, depending on the cause. Treating the cause will often improve aspiration. You can also minimize your child’s risk by: making sure they have correct posture during feeding time.
How do you know if you have aspiration?
They can be silent or overt. Silent aspiration usually has no symptoms, and people aren’t aware that fluids or stomach contents have entered their lungs.
How long does swallowing therapy last?
For many people, swallowing therapy can help prevent aspiration. A session with a therapist usually lasts for one hour.
Can swallowing reflexes cause aspiration?
This can fail to trigger the swallowing reflex. It tends to cause aspiration of liquids. Without a swallow reflex, the food can roll and fall into the airway. Some neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, cause reduced tongue control. These conditions affect the throat and swallowing abilities.
What is care plan format?
Care Plans are often developed in different formats . The formatting isn’t always important, and care plan formatting may vary among different nursing schools or medical jobs. Some hospitals may have the information displayed in digital format, or use pre-made templates.
What are the nursing outcomes of a PT?
Nursing Outcomes: -Pt’s head of bed will be greater than or equal to 30′ degrees during the hospitalization.-Pt’s mouth will be clean and free from any debris or mucous build-up during hospitalization. -Pt will tolerate tube feedings well by having less than 30 cc of residual throughout hospitalization.
How to help a stroke patient swallow?
If the patient had a stroke, place food in the back of the mouth, on the unaffected side, and gently massage the unaffected side of the throat. Massage aids stimulate the act of swallowing. Place whole or crushed pills in custard or gelatin. (First, ask a pharmacist which pills should not be crushed.)
What is impaired swallowing in nursing?
Impaired swallowing involves more time and effort to transfer food or liquid from the mouth to the stomach. It occurs when the muscles and nerves that help move food through the throat and esophagus are not working right.
What is the best team for impaired swallowing?
For impaired swallowing, use a dysphagia team composed of a rehabilitation nurse, speech pathologist, dietitian, physician, and radiologist who work together. The dysphagia team can help the patient learn to swallow safely and maintain a good nutritional status. Place suction equipment at the bedside, and suction as needed.
What to do if you can't swallow?
If patient has impaired swallowing, do not feed until an appropriate diagnostic workup is completed. Ensure proper nutrition by consulting with physician for enteral feedings, preferably a PEG tube in most cases . Feeding a patient who cannot sufficiently swallow results in aspiration and possibly death.
How long does it take to see a speech pathologist after a CVA?
Ensure that patient is seen by a speech pathologist within 72 hours after admission if patient has had a CVA.
How to improve swallowing ability?
Discuss the importance of exercise to enhance the muscular strength of the face and tongue to enhance swallowing. Muscle strengthening can facilitate greater chewing ability and positioning of food in the mouth. Educate patient, family, and all caregivers about rationales for food consistency and choices.
How long to keep patient upright after eating?
More interventions: Keep patient in an upright position for 30 to 45 minutes after a meal.
What to do if you don't know where to start sobriety?
If you or a loved one does not know where to start, contact a compassionate treatment provider to talk about rehab options.
What are the steps to detox?
Those in short term rehab go through the detox process which varies in length depending on the individual and their level of dependency as well as the specific substance. Additionally, he or she has access to types of treatments which will vary on the treatment facility. Some of these include: 1 12-Step group meetings 2 Treatment medications 3 Group therapy 4 Individual therapy 5 Meal plans 6 Biofeedback 7 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 8 Yoga or meditation