Which statement accurately describes the supraglottic swallow and the super-supraglottic swallow and their clinical use?

• A. Supraglottic swallow involves holding breath before and during swallow to protect the airway; super-supraglottic adds bearing down to increase glottic closure.
• B. Supraglottic swallow requires coughing after swallowing; super-supraglottic requires no breath holding.
• C. Both are used only for esophageal dysphagia.
• D. Both rely on relaxation of laryngeal closure.

Answer: (A)

Airway protection during swallowing relies on voluntary closure of the laryngeal entrance just before and during the swallow. In the supraglottic swallow, the person takes a breath and holds it tightly right before and during the swallow to help tightly close the vocal folds and seal the laryngeal vestibule. The super-supraglottic swallow builds on that by adding a bearing-down effort (a more forceful breath-hold) to further increase the adduction of the laryngeal structures, providing even stronger closure of the airway during the swallow. After the swallow, a cough is typically used to clear any potential residue from the laryngeal area.

This makes the statement the best choice because it accurately describes both maneuvers and their purpose: breath-hold to protect the airway, with the super-supraglottic adding extra effort to bolster glottic closure. The other options misstate aspects of these techniques—for example, they imply no breath holding, or misstate who they’re used for, or suggest relaxation of laryngeal closure—none of which align with how these strategies function to prevent penetration or aspiration.