VARIBAR THIN BARIUM® VS. “ULTRATHIN”: OCCURRENCE OF PENETRATION/ASPIRATION IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH DYSPHAGIA AS MEASURED THROUGH MBSS

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study is to determine if diluting Varibar Thin Barium® with water by 50% (referred to as “Ultrathin”) will capture more instances of penetration and/or aspiration during a Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS), than the currently available product consistency, labeled Varibar Thin Barium®. Background. Previous research has shown that the commercially available Varibar Thin Barium® may not be thin enough in viscosity to identify patients who are at risk for penetrating and/or aspirating a “true” thin liquid (e.g., water). In the Fink and Ross (2009) study, if the “Ultrathin” had not been used to identify patients at risk for penetration and/or aspiration, the patients would have tested safe for thin liquids and the recommendation of thin liquid consumption (e.g., water) following discharge from the MBSS would have been based on only assessing the use of Varibar Thin Barium®, which has a thicker viscosity and does not represent a “true” thin liquid placing the patients at risk for penetration and/or aspiration on thin liquid. Methods. A quasi-experimental research design will be used for this study to determine if the intake of “Ultrathin” versus the intake of Varibar Thin Barium® increases the occurrence of penetration and/or aspiration in patients with neurological dysphagia resulting from stroke. Patients suspected of presenting with penetration and/or aspiration as a result of neurological dysphagia will be physician referred for an MBSS as part of a diagnostic protocol at Swallowing Diagnostics, Inc. to rule out or confirm penetration and/or aspiration. Results. There will be an increase in penetration and/or aspiration events on the MBSS using diluted Varibar Thin Barium® (“Ultrathin”) versus Varibar Thin Barium® in patients with neurogenic dysphagia. Conclusion. Our findings will support those of Fink and Ross (2009) in showing that the currently available Varibar Thin Barium® is not thin enough in viscosity to match a “true” thin liquid (e.g., water), and that an “Ultrathin” consistency needs to become the commercially available standard for thin liquid assessment during an MBSS. Grants. This study may be partially funded by the NSU CHCS Faculty Research and Development Grant and a grant offered by Bracco, who is the production company for Varibar Thin Barium®