Approach to obtaining a swallow study in a five-year-old with a disability and significant procedural anxiety: A case...

CASE DESCRIPTIONA five-year-old male with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy and an expressive communication disorder presented because the family desired liberalization of diet. The diet consisted of pureed solids and no liquids due to deficits identified on bedside swallow evaluation; further dysphagia assessment had not been obtained due to significant procedural anxiety. Comprehensive approaches were taken involving premedication with buspirone, desensitization, distraction, and positive reinforcement. The fluoroscopic swallow study was successfully completed, and the patient's diet was upgraded to include moderately thickened liquids.DISCUSSIONProcedural anxiety management in special populations is not well-researched. The lack of definitive recommendations regarding these issues increases the difficulty of managing these patients. This case highlights one successful approach to addressing individual needs using widely-available pharmacologic and environmental techniques. Additionally, this case reinforces the need to identify underlying causes for procedural anxiety and involve an interdisciplinary team.CONCLUSIONSAttempts should be made to identify factors driving procedural anxiety. After discussing with the patient and family, relevant information should be relayed to staff with an open-ended invitation to propose ideas. While not all hospitals have equivalent resources, concerns related to unfamiliarity, underlying anxiety, and locus of control can be addressed with limited resource utilization, as demonstrated in this case.