Aspiration pneumonia (patient information)

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Aspiration pneumonia

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Aspiration pneumonia?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sadaf Sharfaei M.D.[2]

Overview

Aspiration pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs and airways to the lungs (bronchial tubes) from breathing in foreign material. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when foreign materials (usually food, liquids, vomit, or fluids from the mouth) are breathed into the lungs or airways leading to the lungs. This may lead to:

What are the symptoms?

Other symptoms that can occur with this disease:

What causes Aspiration pneumonia?

Risk factors for aspiration or breathing in of foreign material into the lungs are:

Acidic material that is breathed into the lungs can cause severe lung injury. However, it may not necessarily lead to pneumonia.

Who is at highest risk?

  • Patients with decreased immunity
  • Bed-ridden patients

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider, go to the emergency room, or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if you have:

Diagnosis

A physical examination may reveal:

The following tests may also help diagnose this condition:

Treatment options

Some people may need to be hospitalized. Treatment depends on the severity of the pneumonia. You may receive antibiotics, which treat bacteria. Some people may get special antibiotics to treat bacteria that live in the mouth. The type of bacteria that caused the pneumonia depends on:

  • Your health
  • Where you live (at home or in a long-term nursing facility, for example)
  • Whether you've recently been hospitalized
  • Recent antibiotic use

You may need to have your swallowing function tested. Patients who have trouble swallowing may need to use other feeding methods to reduce the risk of aspiration.

Where to find medical care for Aspiration pneumonia?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Aspiration pneumonia

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

The outcome depends on:

If acute respiratory failure develops, the patient may have a long-term illness or die. Many people who have aspiration pneumonia have other serious health problems, which may affect the outlook for recovery.

Possible complications

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000121.htm