Choking is one of those moments where everything goes from normal to crisis in seconds—but how well are we actually measuring that risk?

In this episode of Speech Talk, Emily and Eva break down the integrative review “Dying for a Meal” to explore what really contributes to choking across populations. From who is most at risk to the foods most commonly involved, the research reveals that choking isn’t always as straightforward as we think—and dysphagia isn’t always the main factor.

We dive into five key prevention strategies, including mealtime modifications, oral health, medication management, interdisciplinary care, and system-level training. But beyond the strategies, we tackle the bigger question: how do we balance safety with autonomy?

Because when it comes to choking risk, it’s not just about what’s on the plate—it’s everything around it

Citations

Hemsley, B., Steel, J., Sheppard, J. J., Malandraki, G. A., Bryant, L., & Balandin, S. (2019). Dying for a Meal: An Integrative Review of Characteristics of Choking Incidents and Recommendations to Prevent Fatal and Nonfatal Choking Across Populations. American journal of speech-language pathology, 28(3), 1283–1297. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-18-0150

-This article link contains the choking risk scale for use in your practice!

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