| Definition: |
A pneumonia that is defined as an acute lung injury after the inhalation of foreign material such as regurgitated acidic gastric contents, petroleum products and laxative oils. This syndrome occurs in patients who have a marked disturbance of consciousness such as that resulting from a drug overdose, seizures, a massive cerebrovascular accident, or the use of anesthesia. Aspiration of gastric contents results in a chemical burn of the tracheobronchial tree and pulmonary parenchyma, causing an intense parenchymal inflammatory reaction. The disease has_symptom non-productive cough, has_symptom tachypnea, has_symptom bronchospasm, has_symptom bloody sputum, has_symptom frothy sputum, or has_symptom respiratory distress, 2-5 hrs after aspiration. |