In medicine, aspiration is the entry of secretions or foreign material into the trachea and lungs. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the The traceartes, or windpipe, is a tube that has an inner diameter of about 20-25 mm and a length of about 10-16 cm in humans lung is the essential Respiration organ in air-breathing Animals including most Tetrapods a few Fish and a few Snails The most primitive The patient may either inhale the material, or it may be blown into the lungs during positive pressure ventilation or CPR. Inhalation (also known as respiration) is the movement of air from the external environment through the air ways and into the Alveoli. In positive pressure ventilation, a Mechanical ventilator forces air into the lungs to assist breathing in patients with temporary or chronic respiratory difficulty As the right main bronchus is more vertical and of slightly wider lumen than the left, aspirated material is more likely to end up in this branch or one of its subsequent bifurcations. A bronchus (plural bronchi, adjective bronchial) is a caliber of airway in the Respiratory tract that conducts air into the Lungs No Gas
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Risk factors
As a rule of thumb, any condition which compromises a patient's level of consciousness and/or gag reflex is a risk factor for pulmonary aspiration.
Causes of unconsciousness where aspiration may occur include trauma (especially head injuries), poisoning (including drug/alcohol overdose), general anaesthetics, and diseases or metabolic conditions. A general anaesthetic (or anesthetic, see Spelling differences) drug is an anaesthetic drug that brings about a reversible loss of Consciousness.
Gastroesophageal reflux, a full stomach, pregnancy, and obesity all increase the risk of aspiration in the semiconscious. Gastroesophageal reflux disease ( American English and Canadian English) or Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease ( British English, Hiberno-English Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Obesity is a condition in which excess Body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected
Normally fasting for six hours before elective surgery is enough to empty the stomach. Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time Severe injuries can slow the movement of digesta from the stomach and through the duodenum. Pandects ( Lat pandectae, adapted from Gr pandektes, all-containing is a name given to a compendium or digest of Roman law
Acute alcohol poisoning is a relatively common cause of severe pulmonary aspiration as the alcohol renders the victim unconscious and can induce vomiting. The short-term effects of alcohol on the human body can take several forms Vomiting (also called throwing up, emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's Stomach through the Mouth and sometimes the Patients with neurological conditions may also aspirate food or drink.
During labour, early respiratory movements by the baby facilitate filling of alveolar ducts and alveolar lumens with elements of amniotic fluid: amniotic cells, squamous and squamous cells from fetal skin, lanugo, meconium. Amniotic fluid or liquor amnii is the nourishing and protecting liquid contained by the Amnion of a pregnant woman In Anatomy, squamous epithelium (from Latin squama, "scale" is an Epithelium characterised by its most superficial layer consisting Lanugo is fine downy Hair; it is a type of Pelage. In humans Fetal development Meconium is the earliest Reduced inflammatory infiltrate (neutrophils) and capillary congestion is present. Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of White blood cells in humans and form an essential part of the Photos at: 1
Consequences
If enough material enters the lungs, the patient may simply drown. However, small volumes of gastric acid contents can fatally damage the delicate lung tissue. Even small volumes of aspirated food may lead to bronchopneumonia infection. Bronchopneumonia (also known as lobular pneumonia) is a type of Pneumonia characterized by multiple foci of isolated acute consolidation affecting one or more Chronic aspiration may lead to bronchiectasis and may cause some cases of asthma. Bronchiectasis is a disease that causes localized irreversible dilatation of part of the Bronchial tree. Asthma is a chronic Condition involving the Respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict become inflamed, and are
Prevention
The lungs are normally protected against aspiration by a series of protective reflexes such as coughing and swallowing. In Medicine, a cough ( Latin: tussis) is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defence Reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition is the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the Mouth, to the Pharynx, into Significant aspiration can only occur if the protective reflexes are absent (in neurological disease, coma, drug overdose, sedation or general anesthesia). In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities Sedation is a Medical procedure involving the administration of Sedative drugs generally to facilitate a medical procedure with Local anaesthesia. In modern medical practice general anaesthesia ( AmE: anesthesia) is a state of total unconsciousness resulting from General anaesthetic drugs In intensive care, sitting patients up reduces the risk of pulmonary aspiration and ventilator associated pneumonia. Intensive Care Medicine or critical care medicine is a branch of medicine concerned with the provision of Life support or organ support systems in patients
Measures to prevent aspiration depend on the situation and the patient. In patients at imminent risk of aspiration, endotracheal intubation by a trained health professional provides the best protection. In Medicine, intubation refers to the placement of a tube into an external or internal orifice of the body A health care provider or health professional is an organization or person who delivers proper Health care in a systematic way professionally to any individual in A simpler intervention that can be implemented is to lay the patient on their side in the rescue position (as taught in first aid and CPR classes), so that any vomitus produced by the patient will drain out their mouth instead of back down their pharynx. First aid is the provision of initial care for an Illness or Injury.
People with chronic neurological disorders, for example, after a stroke, are less likely to aspirate thickened fluids. Thickened fluids are often used for people with Dysphagia, a disorder of swallowing function
The location of abscesses caused by aspiration depends on the position one is in. If one is sitting or standing up, the aspirate ends up in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe. If one is on one's back, it goes to the superior segment of the right lower lobe. If one is lying on the right side, it goes to the superior segment of the right middle lobe, or the posterior basal segment of the right upper lobe. If one is lying on the left, it goes to the lingula.
See also
External links
Salt water aspiration syndrome is a rare diving disorder suffered by SCUBA divers who inhale a mist of Seawater from a faulty Demand valve causingDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic