Open AccessVisualizing the Esophagus During Modified Barium Swallow Studies: A Systematic Review
Author(s) -
Erin L. Reedy,
Teri Lynn Herbert
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of speech-language pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.993
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1558-9110
pISSN - 1058-0360
DOI - 10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00255
Subject(s) - systematic review , inclusion and exclusion criteria , medicine , esophagus , cinahl , swallowing , inclusion (mineral) , evidence based practice , visualization , medline , medical physics , psychology , pathology , dentistry , computer science , surgery , alternative medicine , data mining , psychological intervention , nursing , social psychology , political science , law
Purpose Despite the emphasis on using evidence-based practice for patient care, as clinicians, we sometimes find that there is insufficient evidence to support our clinical practices. One example of this is the "contentious" inclusion of routine, standardized visualization of the esophagus during modified barium swallow studies (MBSSs). This review sought to investigate the evidence for inclusion of routine esophageal visualization during the MBSS, a practice that is supported by the long-established interrelationship between all aspects of the oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal swallowing continuum. Method Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed to identify articles that met prespecified inclusion and exclusion terms. Results Five articles were included in this review, which identified that esophageal findings were present in 48.67% of those participants whose MBSS included esophageal visualization. Conclusion This review supports a standardized, validated, reliable visualization protocol of the esophagus during the MBSS as a critical component to the accurate diagnosis and formulation of treatment recommendations for patients with swallowing disorders.