Aspiration Pneumonia

Aspiration Pneumonia – General Information

Aspiration Pneumonia is a bronchopneumonia which appears due to the entrance of the foreign material in the bronchial tree. These foreign materials are usually food, saliva, vomit or mouth and nasal secretions. The Aspiration Pneumonia is caused by the incompetent swallowing, which occur in some types of neurological conditions such as strokes, or when the patients are intoxicated. Other causes are:

• Old age
• Dental problems
• The use of the sedatives
• Anesthesia
• Coma
• Alcohol abuse

It is not yet established if the Aspiration Pneumonia is a bacterial infection of a chemical one, as both produce the same symptoms. The location of this medical condition is usually in the right middle and lower lobs of the lung, but it may also be bilateral and in the upper right lob, depending on the position of the patient. In order for the doctor to establish the diagnostic of the pneumonia, he will examine physical the patients, in order to see if there are crackling sounds in the lungs, and after that he will submit the patients to the following tests:

• Sputum culture
• Chest X-Ray
• Blood tests
• Borchoscopy
• Swallowing studies
• CT scan of the chest
• CBC – a complete blood count

This pneumonia may cause the following complications, but not in all of the cases:

• Low blood pressure
• Shock
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Spread infections in the blood, also known as bacteremia, or in other parts of the body
• Pneumonia with lung abscess

Aspiration Pneumonia – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Aspiration Pneumonia) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Aspiration Pneumonia or from any other medical disorder.
The most common symptoms and signs of Aspiration Pneumonia are listed below:

• Frequent coughing – the coughing may have a bad smelling mucus, which comes from the lungs. The cough may also have sputum which contains pus or blood, or can be greenish.
• Shortness of breath
• Noisy breathing
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fever and chills
• Chest pain known as pleuritic pain
• Trouble with swallowing
• The feeling that something got stuck in the throat
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Confusion
• Upset
• Anxiety
• The skin, lips and fingernails can get blue or dusky, as a result of the lack of oxygen
• Fatigue
• Wheezing
• Excessive sweating
• Breath odor
• Headaches
• Muscle pain
• Lethargy – in small children
• Chattering teeth
• Weakness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• A loss of appetite
• Nasal flaring
• Joint stiffness
• Abdominal pain
• Clammy skin
• Feeling ill
• The feeling of not having enough air

Aspiration Pneumonia – Treatment

Like in other medical conditions, the goal of the Aspiration Pneumonia treatment is to ameliorate the symptoms. The treatment differs due to the severity of the pneumonia. Depending on the severity, some patients may need hospitalization.
Persons who are at a risk of developing Aspiration Pneumonia are the followings:

• Those who consume excessive quantities of alcohol
• Those who use drugs, overdose especially
• Those who have strokes, seizure, head trauma, anesthesia
• Those who have esophageal cancer, achalasia, neurologic disorders and tracheobronchial fistuls.
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Those who suffered a pulmonary infarction or suffer from bronchiectasis

In the case of the patients who have swallowing problems, they may be required to find other ways of feeding, such as perfusions. The treatment depends on the severity of the Aspiration Pneumonia and on the type of this medical condition:

• The bacterial pneumonia – is usually treated with penicillin, ampicillin and erythromycin, when it is caused by streptococcus; it is treated with cefuroxime, augumentin, ofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfanethoxazole in the case that it is caused by hempophilus influenza bacteria.
• The viral pneumonia does not respond to an antibiotic treatment, and it usually resolve by itself.
• Mycoplasma pneumonia- is treated with antibiotics as erythromycin, clartithomycin, tetracycline, azithromycin.

Besides the drug treatment, the doctor will also recommend the patients:

• Bed rest
• To drink high quantities of fluids
• Therapeutic coughing
• Breathing exercises
• A proper diet
• Cough suppressants
• Drugs that relieve the pain and reduce the fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen
• Oxygen therapy in the severe cases as well as artificial ventilation.

In order to prevent the occurrence of the Aspiration Pneumonia the patients must:

• Have a good hygiene
• Make a pneumonococcal vaccine
• Make an influenza shot
• Quit smoking
• Have a proper diet
• Have plenty of sleep
• Make regular exercises