Many medical conditions may be the cause of, or have an impact on, a patient's swallowing ability. The speech-language pathologist should understand common diseases of the cardiopulmonary, endocrine, neurological and digestive systems and their relationship to dysphagia. The interaction of the cardiopulmonary system and the function of the upper aerodigestive tract will be highlighted. Any changes in evaluation or treatment indicated based on specific disorders will be addressed (e.g., impact of COPD on treatments for swallowing). The importance of data obtained from monitoring devices and data found in the medical record (e.g., laboratory reports, pharmacological information) will be reviewed. Basics of life-saving and life support treatments (e.g., mechanical ventilation, dialysis, chemoradiation therapy) will be briefly summarized.