Drink Thickness Test Sticks
These drink thickness test sticks are the quick, easy, accurate way to ensure adherence to the IDDSI Framework when thickening drinks for people with dysphagia
When thickening drinks, it’s important that you accurately match the drink thickness levels of the IDDSI Framework prescribed for the person with dysphagia. But unfortunately you can’t rely on the guidance given by the thickener manufacturer because different drinks require different amounts of thickener to reach the same consistency. The consistency of a drink can also change over time, particularly as a hot drink cools down. We explain this in more detail in why test the thickness of a drink.
Until now, the only way to ensure adherence to the IDDSI Framework was the IDDSI flow test. But this is quite complicated and difficult to perform by yourself. It’s more suitable for training sessions than daily use in the clinical setting. You also need the correct syringes and they aren’t always easy to get hold of. In our article on the IDDSI Syringe Test, we explain these problems, issues and limitations in more detail.
QUICK, EASY, ACCURATE
The Viscgo drink thickness test sticks enable you to quickly and easily ensure that the thickness of a drink adheres to the IDDSI Framework when thickening drinks with gum-based thickener.
By using the Viscgo sticks you can be assured that you are mixing drinks to the correct consistency, giving you peace of mind.
The sticks have been calibrated against standardised liquids matching the IDDSI Framework, verified by Associate Professor Ben Hanson of University College London.
The sticks are washable and reusable and made of food grade plastic. They are coloured and numbered to match the IDDSI Framework Level they have been calibrated to test.
The 2 grey sticks test if a drink is Level 1 Slightly Thick. They can also be used to test if a drink is Level 0 Thin.
The 2 pink sticks test if a drink is Level 2 Mildly Thick.
The yellow stick tests if a drink is thick enough for Level 3 Moderately Thick. If the drink is too thick to pour, it’s too thick for Level 3.
Full instructions on how to use the sticks to quickly, easily and accurately test the thickness of drinks are provided here.
If you want to know how the viscgo sticks work, we explain that here.