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Posts Tagged ‘Pneumonia’

Aspiration Pneumonia is a Serious Problem

Date : November 23rd, 2009Category : UncategorizedAuthor : EditorNo comments

Aspiration pneumonia occurs most frequent in patients that are in a coma or in those who are so seriously ill that they barely breathe. It affects more frequent the elders but it can also occur at other age categories.

Aspiration pneumonia refers to the problem of mouth contents entering the airways instead of going into the stomach. This can lead to an infection of the lungs, fever and breathing problems, even a bacterial pneumonia.

Generally, a person who has a malfunctioning swallowing mechanism, who does not posses a good cough reflex, could develop aspiration pneumonia. Even those patients who are fed with a tube that goes directly into their stomach could develop this problem, due to a regurgitation of the stomach contents into the throat and then into the lungs.

It is highly indicated for such persons to eat in an upright position, and stay in this position for 30 minutes after eating is done. Even the patient’s own saliva may get into the lungs, especially if he has an increased production of saliva. To prevent this, cleaning the mouth with a dry bandage and frequent suctioning of the mouth is highly recommended.

Patients who still have tracheotomy should clean the tracheotomy tube of the coughed material, this way preventing mucus and bacteria from being aspirated back into the lungs and causing a bacterial pneumonia which is a serious illness.

There are some methods of keeping the lungs expanded, and so, helping to loosen up the material that needs to be taken out: clapping or cupping the chest, breathing exercises, changing the body’s position more frequent, and using a vibrator over the chest.

Aspiration pneumonia can even lead to one’s death by chocking with the sucked materials; this is why prevention is so important.

When a lung infection occurs treating it at the right moment and with the right drugs could lead to its cure and save the patient from developing other complications like producing a partial collapse (atelectasis) of the lung.

Signs of installed complications like bacterial pneumonia are: cough with yellow or greenish sputum, high grade fever, chest pains, breathing problems, muscle aches and fatigue. Treatment consists in administering antibiotic drugs, controlling the fever, and most of all, preventing lung aspiration of mouth materials from occurring again.

The treatment of aspiration pneumonia consists in administering oxygen, aspiration of the foreign materials from the airways, and total spell. The therapy will include anti-shock medication and antibiotics.

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Comatose Patients and the Risk of Aspiration Pneumonia

Date : November 20th, 2009Category : UncategorizedAuthor : EditorNo comments

Aspiration pneumonia refers to inflammation of the lungs due to inhalation of foreign matters (food, saliva, nasal secretions). Virtually any fluids or solid irritants (dust particles) that frequently enter the airways can lead to the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia can generate moderate or high fever due to inflammation of the lower respiratory tract’s soft tissues, membranes and organs involved in the process of breathing. Unattended, this type of pneumonia can result in partial lung failure (atelectasis). Although aspiration pneumonia is not an infectious disease, in time it can lead to serious pulmonary bacterial infections. On the premises of lung inflammation and weakened defenses of the respiratory system (cilia barriers, mucus), aspiration pneumonia facilitates the occurrence of severe bacterial pneumonia. Furthermore, aspiration pneumonia can even lead to death by asphyxiation (due to obstruction of breathing).

The categories of people exposed to the highest risk of developing aspiration pneumonia are: people who can’t swallow properly or have a poor cough reflex (infants, very young children, the elderly) and people with serious disabilities that involve bed confinement. Aspiration pneumonia is very common in comatose patients and people who suffer from paralysis, as immobility and prolonged horizontal position of the body render them very susceptible to inhalation of their own mouth and nasal secretions. Also, prolonged bed confinement can lead to regurgitation of the stomach content inside the throat and mouth, allowing stomach fluids to reach the upper levels of the respiratory tract, from where they may be inhaled into the lungs. Despite the fact that comatose patients are usually fed via tubes that enter directly inside the stomach, they are still exposed to a high risk of aspiration pneumonia as a result of stomach fluids reflux into the throat and mouth.

The occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in disabled or comatose patients can be easily prevented by slightly elevating patients’ head and torso during feedings. Patients should be maintained in this position for at least 30 minutes after feeding. This procedure is recommended for patients who receive tube feedings as well. Patients who suffer from an overproduction of saliva also require special medical care. In order to prevent the inhalation of excess saliva, this category of patients should be kept under permanent medical monitoring. Constant mouth suctioning and frequent wiping of the mouth and nose can prevent the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in such patients. Constant changing of position can also minimize the risk of aspiration pneumonia in disabled and comatose patients.

Patients who present signs of fluid inhalation need immediate medical assistance. Tube suctioning of the airways is an effective means of clearing patients’ respiratory tract from inhaled foreign matters. Chest massage and application of pressure on patients’ chest can stimulate cough reflexes, thus allowing the elimination of inhaled matters.

Although aspiration pneumonia is highly preventable and treatable (if timely discovered), it still accounts for many deaths among patients with special conditions. People with poor freedom of movement and immobile people need permanent surveillance in order to prevent the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia.

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