Pulmonary aspiration

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Pulmonary Aspiration
Diagram of the upper respiratory tract.
Specialty	Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology, Neurology, Pulmonology
Symptoms	Wheezing, Coughing, Shortness of Breath
Complications	Aspiration pneumonia, Chemical pneumonitis, Death

Pulmonary aspiration is the entry of solid or liquid material such as pharyngeal secretions, food,

drink, or stomach contents from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract, into the trachea and lungs^[1]. When pulmonary aspiration occurs during eating and drinking, the aspirated material is often colloquially referred to as "going down the wrong pipe".

Consequences of pulmonary aspiration include no injury at all, chemical pneumonitis, pneumonia, or even death from asphyxiation. These consequences depend on the volume, chemical composition, particle size, and presence of infectious agents in the aspirated material, and on the underlying health status of the person.

In healthy people, aspiration of small quantities of material is common and rarely results in disease or injury. People with significant underlying disease or injury are at greater risk for developing respiratory complications following pulmonary aspiration, especially hospitalized patients, because of certain factors such as depressed level of consciousness and impaired airway defenses (gag reflex and respiratory tract antimicrobial defense system). About 3.6 million cases of pulmonary aspiration or foreign body in the airway occurred in 2013.^[2]