Complications
One quarter of patients with aspiration of gastric contents develop expanding infiltrates, probably because of superimposed bacterial infection. Aspiration pneumonia should be treated with empirical antibiotics, which are the same as those for non-aspiration pneumonia (community-acquired, hospital-acquired, or ventilator-associated), unless the patient has anaerobic pleuropulmonary syndrome (a later presentation of cavitary pneumonia or empyema associated with prior loss of consciousness and poor dental hygiene).
May be a complication of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. About 12% of patients die, usually shortly after the aspiration.[42]
Mild fibrotic changes have been described on high-resolution computed tomography scans of the chest 1 year after barium aspiration.[74]
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