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Aspiration pneumonia classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sunny Kumar MD [2], Sadaf Sharfaei M.D.[3], Priyamvada Singh, M.D. [4]

Overview

Aspiration pneumonia is a part of aspiration syndrome which is consist of four classes depending on nature of aspirated substance including foreign body aspiration, chemical pneumonitis, bacterial infection, and lipid pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia, depending on the duration of systems might be classified into two groups of acute and chronic.

Classification

  • Aspiration pneumonia is one class of aspiration syndrome.
  • Aspiration syndrome consists of four classes depending on nature of aspirated substance. Following are the four classes of aspiration syndrome:[1][2]
Classification of aspiration syndrome
Classes Substance involved Risk factor Mechanism of damdage
Mechanical obstruction Foreign body Childhood Traumatic
Chemical pneumonitis Gastric contents Decreased level of consciousness Corrosive effect of acid on respiratory tract
Bacterial infection Oral cavity bacterial flora Dysphagia, elderly age Similar to community acquired pneumonia
Lipid pneumonia Oil Childhood Macrophages engulf lipid substances lining pulmonary tree
  • Aspiration pneumonia, depending on the duration of systems might be classified into two groups:
    • Acute aspiration pneumonitis
    • Chronic aspiration pneumonia

References

  1. Marik PE (2011). “Pulmonary aspiration syndromes”. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 17 (3): 148–54. doi:10.1097/MCP.0b013e32834397d6. PMID 21311332.
  2. Hu X, Lee JS, Pianosi PT, Ryu JH (2015). “Aspiration-related pulmonary syndromes”. Chest. 147 (3): 815–823. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1049. PMID 25732447.

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