Aspiration pneumonia, also known as aspiration pneumonia, is an infection of the lungs caused by suction or inhalation of fluids or particles from the mouth or stomach, which reach the airways and cause certain signs and symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath and shortness of breath, for example.
This type of pneumonia is usually associated with changes in swallowing and, as a result, occurs most often in infants, the elderly, and people who breathe with devices. These people have a weaker immune system and it is therefore important that the diagnosis and treatment of aspiration pneumonia is initiated quickly to avoid complications.
Symptoms of aspiration pneumonia usually include
Symptoms of pneumonia in infants may be different, mainly such as excessive crying and decreased appetite. In the case of the elderly, there may also be mental confusion and decreased muscle strength, and there may also be fever in some cases.
Although this occurs in infants, the elderly, and people who breathe with devices, aspiration pneumonia can also occur in people who have difficulty swallowing, such as stroke, are unconscious from medication or anesthesia, which vomit, have reflux. or have undergone diagnostic, dental, digestive or respiratory procedures, for example.
Signs and symptoms of aspiration pneumonia usually appear 3 days after the person has choked on food or secretions, diagnosed by a family doctor or pneumologist after medical history evaluation and additional tests, such as chest x-rays and blood or mucus tests.
Baby aspiration pneumonia is one of the leading lung infections in children younger than one year old, as it is common for babies to chol or place small objects in their mouths that can reach the lungs. This pneumonia is usually caused by suffocation with vomiting, which can occur when the baby develops esophageal malformations, such as atresia or regurgitation in the back.
Treatment of aspiration pneumonia in the baby should be done in accordance with the advice of the pediatrician and can be done at home with the use of antibiotic syrups, but in some cases hospitalization may be necessary, depending on the severity of the disease.
Treatment of aspiration pneumonia should be done in accordance with the pneumologist’s recommendation and lasts most of the time about 1 to 2 weeks and may be done at home with the use of antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, ampicillin-sulbactam and may be associated with clindamycin in the most severe cases. However, depending on the severity of the disease and the patient’s health status, hospitalization may be necessary.
During treatment, the patient should always brush their teeth, keep their mouth clean and scrape their throats, as they are excellent ways to prevent the transport of bacteria from the mouth to the lungs.
In the elderly, in addition to treating aspiration pneumonia, it is important to prevent the problem that caused pneumonia from happening again. To do this, techniques such as ingesting solid foods in small amounts and taking gelatin instead of water can be used.
After treatment, a chest x-ray may be recommended to confirm that there is no fluid in the lungs, as well as to avoid highly contaminated areas, take the pneumococcal vaccine, and evaluate measures that prevent new aspirations and prevent pneumonia. . Go back.