Images in Clinical Medicine
Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia
N Engl J Med 2008; 359:e27November 20, 2008
- Article
An 84-year-old man with coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and congestive heart failure was admitted to the hospital because of a decrease in mental status. He was found to have profound hyponatremia and questionable lung infiltrates. The patient reported that he had choked on his food and had difficulty in swallowing. He had a history of recurrent pneumonia. A barium-swallow examination was performed. The ingestion of barium contrast material under fluoroscopic observation showed aspiration into the tracheobronchial tree. The patient had mild dyspnea during the procedure. Chest radiography showed clear lung parenchyma with barium seen in the lower lobes bilaterally. No specific cause for the aspiration was found. The patient was referred for placement of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrotomy tube. His respiratory symptoms were managed conservatively, and he was discharged to a nursing home.
Maroun M. Tawk, M.D.
Marwan K. Elya, M.D.
Oklahoma University, Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
mtawk@ouhsc.edu - Citing Articles (2)
Citing Articles
1
Martha JP Karagiannis, Leonie Chivers, Tom C Karagiannis. (2011) Effects of oral intake of water in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. BMC Geriatrics 11:1, 9
CrossRef2
Miguel Martínez Martín, Paloma Gil Martínez. (2010) Neumonitis aspirativa por contraste de bario en paciente mayor en estudio por disfagia progresiva. Revista Española de Geriatría y Gerontología 45:3, 173-174
CrossRef
