How To Treat Aspiration Pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs that occurs as a result of an individual aspirating or inhaling liquid, food, or vomit down into the airways and lungs. Liquid or food already in an individual's stomach that regurgitates up their esophagus can aspirate into their lungs. Aspiration pneumonia develops when an individual is unable to cough up the substance aspirated into the lungs, and bacteria begins to colonize. This condition is most common among elderly individuals who reside in long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Symptoms include wet or dry cough, pink or frothy sputum, fever, difficulty swallowing, rapid heartbeat, voice changes, appetite loss, blue fingertips, alterations in alertness, breathlessness, chest pain, and weight loss. Aspiration pneumonia is diagnosed using blood tests, sputum culture, CT scan, x-rays, barium swallow, and physical examination.
There are several ways to treat aspiration pneumonia. Get familiar with them now.
Course Of Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a class of medications effective at eradicating particular types of bacteria that cause infections in the body. The most common types of bacteria known to cause aspiration pneumonia are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae. Antibiotic medications commonly used to treat aspiration pneumonia include azithromycin, moxifloxacin, ceftriaxone, and levofloxacin. Other antibiotics also used in affected individuals include a combination of vancomycin and either piperacillin or imipenem. The best method of choosing the correct antibiotic to treat a patient's aspiration pneumonia is by culturing their tracheal aspirates, lung aspirates, or sputum. These methods help the physician identify the bacterial organism causing pneumonia, and choose an antibiotic the specific bacteria poses minimal resistance.
Keep reading to learn about more ways to treat aspiration pneumonia now.