Abbott supports MOH’s EatSafe SG initiative

Dysphagia, otherwise described as difficulty swallowing, can occur due to medical conditions like stroke, degenerative diseases and head and neck cancer. It often leads to complications like malnutrition, dehydration, chest infection and in some cases, even death.

For patients with Dysphagia, swallowing thin liquids with water-like consistency can be a choking hazard as such liquids flow quickly and have increased risk of entering the windpipe. To improve consumption safety, thickeners can be added to ensure the liquids flow at an appropriate rate to provide sufficient buffer time before swallowing.

EatSafe SG aims to improve patient safety and communication within and between healthcare professionals, healthcare providers and patients by reducing misunderstandings and ambiguity when communicating diet or fluid related information*.

In efforts to nationally standardize diet and fluid terminology, the EatSafe SG initiative highlights the IDDSI framework which provides a fixed scale for categorizing the varying consistencies of food and drinks. This standardization in categories allows for greater ease in identifying and preparing safe food for patients with dysphagia. 

In line with the EatSafe SG initiative, Abbott wants to ensure that patients with dysphagia can enjoy the benefits of our nutritional products while practicing safe consumption. Therefore, we have followed the testing protocol recommended by MOH’s EatSafe SG Working Group to determine the precise amount of thickener^ and time required to achieve the desired levels of consistency for our product range as each product varies in baseline consistency. Using this information, we have created a list which conveniently provides preparation instructions for the product-of-choice, informing caretakers of the amount of thickener to be added along with the wait time required for the product to thicken. This will help ensure that patients can safely obtain the nutrition that is crucial for their recovery from our products.

References:

Ministry of Health Singapore. EATSAFE SG. Cited on 4 May 2023 at https://www.moh.gov.sg/hpp/allied-health-professionals/eatsafe-sg

Footnotes: *Visit the MOH EatSafe website for more information on EatSafe initiatives.
^Thicken Up was used for testing.

SG.2023.37920.ENS.1 (v1.0)