It can happen as a person swallows, or food can come back up from the stomach. Aspiration can lead to serious health issues such as pneumonia and chronic lung scarring. Aspiration pneumonia is known as a 'silent killer' and it can become deadly without many symptoms.
The current study demonstrated an alarming in-hospital mortality rate of 27.8% in those over age 65 who were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia.
While the mortality rate of aspiration pneumonia depends on complications of the disease, the 30-day mortality rate hovers around 21%, with a higher rate of 29.7% in hospital-associated aspiration pneumonia.
Most people who get aspiration pneumonia and get treatment will survive. The prognosis for aspiration pneumonia also depends on your overall health and other conditions that you may have and how sick you were when you started treatment.
Aspiration can lead to pneumonia, respiratory infections (infections in your nose, throat, or lungs), and other health problems.
Risk Factors
Supraglottic disease: This includes patients with anatomic irregularities in the oropharynx, poor dental hygiene, or disease states which cause esophageal dysmotility and impaired swallowing. Other causes: Position changes can lead to aspiration even in healthy patients.
Older adults, those with a compromised airway or impaired gag reflexes, or the presence of oral, nasal, or gastric tubes are at an increased risk. Aspiration causes choking, respiratory complications, infections, and can be fatal if not quickly recognized and treated.
Aspiration pneumonia is a complication of pulmonary aspiration, or the inhalation of food, liquid or vomit into the lungs. When the respiratory system is healthy and strong, pulmonary aspiration often clears up on its own.
What is aspiration? Aspiration happens when food, liquid, or other material enters a person's airway and eventually the lungs by accident. It can happen as a person swallows, or food can come back up from the stomach. Aspiration can lead to serious health issues such as pneumonia and chronic lung scarring.
Aspiration of the oropharyngeal or gastric contents by elderly persons often leads to lower respiratory tract infections, such as aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis.
Aspiration pneumonia is a leading cause of death among the elderly.
Yes. Although it's rare, meconium aspiration syndrome can lead to brain damage. This occurs in especially severe cases in which the baby does not receive enough oxygen during labor. If the baby is without oxygen for too long, permanent brain damage — and associated conditions like cerebral palsy — may occur.
Conclusions: In-hospital cardiac arrest preceded by pulmonary aspiration occurred more often on general wards among unmonitored patients. These patients had a lower 30-day survival rate compared with IHCA caused by respiratory failure of other causes.
Swallowing and aspiration occur during sleep, as in the awake state; however, there are a few reports on these events during sleep, and the cause of aspiration remains unknown [5–8]. The swallowing process can be divided into consecutive oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal phases [9].
Aspiration prevention surgeries can be categorized into three according to their approaches: removal of the larynx, altering the structure of the trachea, and closure of the larynx. Aspiration prevention surgeries to remove the larynx include total and central-part laryngectomy.
Aspiration is when something enters the airway or lungs by accident. It may be food, liquid, or some other material. This can cause serious health problems, such as pneumonia. Aspiration can happen when a person has trouble swallowing normally.
Feel something stuck in your throat. Hurt when you swallow, or it's hard to do. Cough while or after you eat or drink. Feel congested after you eat or drink.
There are two phases following an aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs. The first phase is nonspecific and begins a few minutes after the aspiration. This phase is due to the chemical injury. The second phase is an inflammatory reaction.
Shortness of breath. Bluish discoloration of the lips or tongue (cyanosis) Wheezing.
The risk of aspiration pneumonia increases as mobility and the ability to independently position oneself decreases. The person may benefit from being elevated (in upright position and/or with their head up), including when being changed, bathed, or in bed, and not just when eating or drinking.
Despite these variations, authors almost uniformly agree that a decreased level of consciousness and a sustained supine position are major risk factors for aspiration.
Choking occurs when the airway is blocked by food, drink, or foreign objects. Aspiration occurs when food, drink, or foreign objects are breathed into the lungs (going down the wrong tube).
Right, middle and lower lung lobes are the most common sites. Aspiration when upright may cause bilateral lower lung infiltrates. Right upper lobe often shows consolidation in those with a history of alcohol misuse who aspirate in the prone position.