S64 Understanding better the pathophysiology of aspiration pneumonia

Aspiration of oropharyngeal or gastric contents into the lower airways can cause a number of syndromes including chemical and bacterial pneumonia, although the pathophysiology of each entity is different.1 Data from Dr Foster's Guide and our local coding department revealed a high incidence and mortality from aspiration pneumonia alerting us to study those patients. Retrospective analysis of 53 patients coded as aspiration pneumonia from …