ICU SAQs · Airway management
Aspiration pneumonitis — management and differentiation
A CICM SAQ on aspiration pneumonitis (Mendelson) — supportive care, no routine antibiotics/steroids, differentiation from aspiration pneumonia, and prevention.
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Prompt
An obtunded patient regurgitates and aspirates during emergency intubation. Two hours later they are hypoxic with bilateral infiltrates. Outline your management, and explain how you would differentiate this from aspiration pneumonia.
Question
An obtunded patient regurgitates and aspirates during emergency intubation. Two hours later they are hypoxic with bilateral infiltrates. Outline your management, and explain how you would differentiate this from aspiration pneumonia.[2]
References4ShowHide
- [1]Drakulovic MB, Torres A, Bauer TT, et al. Supine body position as a risk factor for nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients: a randomised trial. Lancet, 1999.PMID 10584721
- [2]Bersten AD, Soni N (eds) Oh's Intensive Care Manual. 8th edition, Elsevier, 2018.
- [3]Klompas M et al.; Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America / IDSA. Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in acute care hospitals: 2014 update. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2014.PMID 25376073
- [4]Drakulovic MB et al. Supine body position as a risk factor for nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients: a randomised trial. Lancet, 1999.PMID 10584721