ASPIRATION PNEUMONIA

Clinically important aspiration of gastric contents is a rare event in healthy,elective surgical patients. However, aspiration pneumonia is a serious clinical entity and one of the few remaining causes of anaesthesia-related death. Prevention offers the best protection against aspiration. Awareness, skilful technique and careful attention to anaesthetic details are the hall-mark of prevention. Mortality following aspiration pneumonia mostly results from primary orsecondary infection and adult respiratory distress syndrome. With aggressive and immediate treatment including early ventilation, antibiotic therapy and optimal fluid replacement therapy, the mortality from aspiration pneumonia should be very low nowadays, particularly in young patients. © 1991 Baillière Tindall.