SJD Sant Boi Hospital, accredited as a Hospital committed to dysphagia

The Dysphagia Unit of the Sant Joan de Déu Sant Boi Children's Hospital has been accredited as Hospital committed to oropharyngeal dysphagia, a distinction granted by the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) and which represents an official recognition of quality care in the care of the patient with dysphagia.

To receive it, the Hospital must have a specialized multidisciplinary unit, systems of early screening of dysphagia, offer adapted diets and safe for hospitalized people, be committed to the prevention of complications associated with this pathology, and promote the training of professionals towards this condition. “From the Dysphagia Unit we work to offer a comprehensive and safe care that allows preventing complications and improving the quality of life of patients people with dysphagia”, explains Dr. Isabel Granada, coordinator of the Dysphagia Unit of the Otorhinolaryngology Service.

The dysphagia It is the difficulty or inability to swallow food, liquids or even saliva safely and effectively. It appears when the process of swallowing, which involves the coordination of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus, fail. Among the most common causes are some neurological diseases, muscular or structural problems in the throat or esophagus, surgeries or treatments, or the natural process ofaging. It is important to treat dysphagia, with dietary adaptation and exercises with speech therapists, in order to avoid serious complications such as a bronchoaspiration, a lung infection, malnutrition or dehydration.

The Dysphagia Unit of theSJD Sant Boi Hospital It is made up of Otolaryngology, Endocrinology-Nutrition and the Rehabilitation Service.