Measuring the prevalence of aspiration pneumonia in view of improving the relevance of antibiotic prescription of antibiotics: A retrospective, observational study.

PURPOSE: Aspiration pneumonia (AP) has significant incidence and impact on mortality. However, data about clinical diagnosis criteria are scarce. We aimed to evaluate according to predefined criteria the prevalence of true AP and its impact on antibiotic stewardship. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients whose main diagnosis was AP hospitalized at Amiens University Hospital in 2018. We first defined diagnostic criteria of certainty for pneumonia and aspiration. AP was then classified according to degree of certainty. RESULTS: Among 862 cases of AP, its diagnosis was certain, likely, probably in excess, certainly in excess or absent in 2 % (n = 17), 3 % (n = 26), 50.5 % (n = 433), 23.1 % (n = 198) and 21.4 % (n = 183) respectively. Irrelevant use of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and metronidazole was found in 27 % and 13 % of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of AP is frequently excessive, and diagnostic tools are urgently needed to improve antibiotic stewardship.

Prognostic factors of poor outcomes in pneumonia in older adults: aspiration or frailty?

PURPOSE: Little is known about the long-term and functional prognoses of older adults with pneumonia, which complicates their management. There is a common belief that aspiration is a poor prognostic factor; however, the diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia (AP) lacks consensus criteria and is mainly based on clinical characteristics typical of the frailty syndrome. Therefore, the poor prognosis of AP may also be a result of frailty rather than aspiration. This study investigated the impact of AP and other prognostic factors in older patients with pneumonia. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 75 years and older, admitted with pneumonia in 2021. We divided patients according to their initial diagnosis (AP or non-AP), compared outcomes using Kaplan-Meier curves, and used logistic regression to identify independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: 803 patients were included, with a median age of 84 years and 52.7% were male. 17.3% were initially diagnosed with AP. Mortality was significantly higher in those diagnosed with AP than non-AP during admission (27.6% vs 19.0%, p = 0.024) and at 1 year (64.2% vs 53.1%, p = 0.018), with survival analysis showing a median survival time of 62 days and 274 days in AP and non-AP, respectively (χ2 = 9.2, p = 0.002). However, the initial diagnosis of AP was not an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in multivariable analysis. Old age, frailty and cardio-respiratory comorbidities were the main factors associated with death. CONCLUSION: The greater mortality in AP may be a result of increased frailty rather than the diagnosis of aspiration itself. This supports our proposal for a paradigm shift from making predictions based on the potentially futile labelling of AP or non-AP, to considering frailty and overall condition of the patient.

Effect of poor oral health status at hospital admission on in-hospital outcomes of older patients with aspiration pneumonia.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of oral health status at admission on in-hospital outcomes and how it varies during hospitalization in older patients with aspiration pneumonia. METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved patients aged ≥ 65 years who were admitted to an acute care hospital with a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia. The patients' basic health information, length of hospital stay (LOS), and oral health assessment tool (OHAT), functional oral intake scale (FOIS), pneumonia severity index, and clinical frailty scale scores were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups based on their median OHAT scores, and intergroup changes were analyzed as a function of time. The relationship between the LOS, FOIS score upon discharge, and OHAT scores at admission was examined using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 89 participants (52 were men, with a mean age of 84.8 ± 7.9 years), 75 were discharged. The patients' oral health was measured weekly for 3 weeks after the initial assessment via the OHAT, wherein the median score was 7, with a significant between-group difference. Moreover, OHAT scores improved within both groups throughout their stay. OHAT scores at admission were independently associated with the LOS (B = 5.51, P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Poor oral health status at admission was associated with longer hospital stays. Both the high- and low-OHAT groups showed OHAT score improvements. Oral health status is critical in preventing the onset of and treating aspiration pneumonia.

Predictors and impact of aspiration pneumonia in patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy: national inpatient sample 2016-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Aspiration pneumonia is a rare but feared complication among patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Our study aims to assess the incidence as well as risk factors for aspiration pneumonia in patients undergoing EGD. METHODS: National Inpatient Sample 2016-2020 was used to identify adult patients undergoing EGD. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the presence of aspiration pneumonia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors associated with aspiration pneumonia. We adjusted for patient demographics, Elixhauser comorbidities and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 1.8 million patients undergoing EGD, 1.9% of the patients developed aspiration pneumonia. Patients with aspiration pneumonia were mostly males (59.54%), aged >65 years old (66.19%), White (72.2%), had Medicare insurance (70.5%) and were in the lowest income quartile (28.7%). On multivariate analysis, the age >65 group, White race, congestive heart failure (CHF), neurological disorders and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were associated with higher odds of aspiration pneumonia. This complication was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (9% vs. 0.8%; P  < 0.001) and longer length of stay (10.54 days vs. 4.85 days; P  < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study found that rates of post-EGD aspiration pneumonia are increasing. We found a significant association between various comorbidities and aspiration pneumonia. Our data suggests that we need to optimize these patients before EGD, as the development of aspiration is associated with worsened outcomes. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify these associations.

"Diagnose, Treat, and SUPPORT". Clinical competencies in the management of older adults with aspiration pneumonia: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Aspiration pneumonia in older adults is increasingly common, with a high care burden and morbidity. However, clinical competencies in its management have not been developed, and healthcare professionals struggle on how to care for these patients with multimodal treatment needs. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to investigate what is known about the desired clinical competencies for the management of older adults with aspiration pneumonia, to utilise in clinical practice, education, and future research. METHODS: First, we defined aspiration pneumonia according to a preliminary search. We then searched the literature on MEDLINE and CINAHL, focusing on studies involving patients aged 65 years old and older diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. All settings were included, with the exception of intensive care units. Publication dates were limited to January 2011 to July 2022 and languages to English and Japanese. The extracted data were used to refine the preliminary competency framework developed by the Japan Aspiration pneumonia inter-Professional team Educational Program (JAPEP) in preparation of this study. RESULTS: Ninety-nine studies were included. Following data extraction from these studies, 3 competencies were renamed, and 3 new competencies were added, to create a list of 12 competencies. These were Diagnosis, Treatment, Swallow Assessment, Underlying condition management, Nutrition, Oral management, Rehabilitation, Multidisciplinary team, Decision making, Prevention, Prognosis, and Palliative care. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review identified 12 clinical competencies required in the management of older adults with aspiration pneumonia, outlined in the phrase 'Diagnose, Treat and SUPPORT'. We encourage healthcare professionals to share these competencies as a team to identify areas of unmet need and improve their patient care, with an emphasis on supportive care.

Criteria for diagnosing aspiration pneumonia in Japan - A scoping review.

Aspiration pneumonia accounts for a significantly higher proportion of pneumonia cases in Japan than in Western countries. We conducted a scoping review of the criteria for diagnosing aspiration pneumonia in the literature on aspiration pneumonia reported from Japan, where the incidence of aspiration pneumonia is higher than in Europe and the United States. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library as literature databases. The search keywords were "aspiration," "pneumonia," and "Japan," combined with AND. After eliminating duplicates, we screened 852 articles and reviewed 112 articles in full, with 58 articles included in the final analysis. Of the 58 articles, 25 adopted the clinical diagnostic criteria for aspiration pneumonia proposed by the Japanese Study Group on Aspiration Pulmonary Disease. The remaining 33 articles used their own diagnostic criteria. There were 12 articles that described the features of images. There were three articles stating that aspiration pneumonitis should be excluded. There were five reports in which all patients were examined for swallowing function disorder. In Japan, the diagnostic criteria for aspiration pneumonia proposed by the Japanese Study Group on Aspiration Pulmonary Disease were used extensively, and various other criteria were also used. Aspiration pneumonia diagnosed according to different criteria should be carefully compared in terms of incidence, therapeutic effects, and prognosis.

Predictors of aspiration pneumonia: developing a new matrix for speech and language therapists.

INTRODUCTION: The contributing factors of aspiration pneumonia have been well documented. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding identifying the weight associated with each factor and the relationship between factors. METHOD: In this study, 20 potential predictors of aspiration pneumonia (with four additional variables) have been applied to historic Speech and Language Therapy records to greater understand the significance of each contributor of aspiration pneumonia. 152 cases with an oropharyngeal dysphagia, and a Speech and Language Therapy recommendation of eating and drinking with known aspiration and the associated potential risk of developing an aspiration pneumonia, were included in the data. These were inpatients and outpatients, and had various diagnoses but all had had a videofluoroscopy. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis found seven factors that were individually significant in predicting the development of aspiration pneumonia with 84.93% sensitivity and 91.03% specificity DISCUSSION: Logistic regression and random forest analyses led to the proposal of a new matrix of predictors of aspiration pneumonia with respective scoring weights for individual and cumulative contributors (a direction for future research).

[Predicting the development of aspiration pneumonia in patients with ischemic stroke and neurogenic dysphagia]. / Prognozirovanie razvitiya aspiratsionnoi pnevmonii u patsientov s ishemicheskim insul'tom i neirogennoi disfagiei.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic aspects of the development of pneumonia in patients with ischemic stroke of various pathogenetic subtypes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study enrolled 110 patients (64 men and 46 women), aged 44-95 years, with dysphagia during the acute period of ischemic stroke (IS). The TOAST criteria were used to diagnose the pathogenetic subtype, and the MASA scale was used to determine the presence and severity of dysphagia. To predict the probability of switching to self-feeding from the severity of dysphagia, a non-linear regression method was used using the least squares method. RESULTS: In patients with swallowing disorders in the acute period of IS, pneumonia often developed after 5 days from the onset of clinical manifestations of stroke. In the cardioembolic subtype of IS, the probability of pneumonia in groups with dysphagia severity from 90 to 120 points on the MASA was higher than in the atherothrombotic subtype of IS (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with cardioembolic stroke subtype are characterized by a worse prognosis for the developing pneumonia compared to patients with atherothrombotic stroke subtype.

Vogesella urethralis-induced aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia in an elderly man: a first case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Vogesella species are common aquatic Gram-negative rods that were first reported in 1997. Vogesella urethralis bacterium was first isolated from human urine in 2020. Only two cases of disease caused by Vogesella species have been reported with no case of Vogesella urethralis-caused disease being reported as yet. Herein, we report a case of aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia caused by Vogesella urethralis. CASE PRESENTATION: An 82-year-old male patient was admitted with dyspnea, increased sputum production, and hypoxia. Gram-negative rods were isolated from the blood and sputum cultures of the patient. He was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia. Initially, Vogesella urethralis was wrongly identified as Comamonas testosteroni based on fully automated susceptibility testing; however, additional 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified the causative as Vogesella urethralis. The patient was treated with piperacillin and tazobactam. Unfortunately, he developed aspiration pneumonia again and died during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Since no database exists for rare bacteria in traditional clinical microbiology laboratories, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis is useful. We report the first case of Vogesella urethralis-induced aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia.

[Diagnostics and treatment of post-stroke dysphagia]. / Diagnostik und Therapie der Dysphagie nach einem Schlaganfall.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke dysphagia is highly prevalent and leads to severe complications, such as aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition. Despite the high clinical relevance dysphagia management is heterogeneous and often inadequate. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review article is to provide an overview of the diagnostic and treatment strategies for post-stroke dysphagia based on recent studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Narrative literature review. RESULTS: Dysphagia screening should be performed as early as possible in every stroke patient, e.g., with a simple water swallowing test or a multiconsistency protocol. Subsequently, flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is indicated in patients with abnormal screening results or existing risk factors for dysphagia. Dietary modifications, oral hygiene measures, and nutritional therapy can help reduce complications. Behavioral swallowing therapy or experimental therapies, such as neurostimulation procedures and pharmacological approaches aim to improve swallowing function and have shown promising results in studies. CONCLUSION: Timely management of dysphagia is necessary to reduce complications.

Maximum phonation time: an independent predictor of late-onset pneumonia after esophageal cancer surgery.

Dysphagia after esophagectomy is a major risk factor for aspiration pneumonia, thus preoperative assessment of swallowing function is important. The maximum phonation time (MPT) is a simple indicator of phonatory function and also correlates with muscle strength associated with swallowing. This study aimed to determine whether preoperative MPT can predict postoperative aspiration pneumonia. The study included 409 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer between 2017 and 2021. Pneumonia detected by routine computed tomography on postoperative days 5-6 was defined as early-onset pneumonia, and pneumonia that developed later (most often aspiration pneumonia) was defined as late-onset pneumonia. The correlation between late-onset pneumonia and preoperative MPT was investigated. Patients were classified into short MPT (<15 seconds for males and <10 seconds for females, n = 156) and normal MPT groups (≥15 seconds for males and ≥10 seconds for females, n = 253). The short MPT group was significantly older, had a lower serum albumin level and vital capacity, and had a significantly higher incidence of late-onset pneumonia (18.6 vs. 6.7%, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that short MPT was an independent risk factor for late-onset pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.26, P = 0.026). The incidence of late-onset pneumonia was significantly higher in the short MPT group (15.6 vs. 4.7%, P = 0.004), even after propensity score matching adjusted for clinical characteristics. MPT is a useful predictor for late-onset pneumonia after esophagectomy.

Long-Term Survival After Aspiration Pneumonia in Older Inpatients: A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVES: Aspiration pneumonia (AsP), a leading cause of death in older people, remains poorly studied. We aimed to evaluate short- and long-term prognosis after AsP in older inpatients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: All consecutive patients aged ≥75 years hospitalized in a 62-bed acute geriatric unit during a 1-year period. METHODS: We compared clinical characteristics and overall 2-year survival between patients with a main diagnosis of AsP, patients with other types of acute pneumonia (non-AsP), and patients hospitalized for another cause. RESULTS: Among the 1774 patients hospitalized over 1 year (median age: 87 years, 41% female), 125 (7%) had a primary diagnosis of acute pneumonia, of whom 39 (31%) had AsP and 86 (69%) non-AsP. Patients with AsP were more frequently male, lived more frequently in a nursing home, and had a more frequent history of stroke or neurocognitive disorders. Mortality rates were much higher after AsP, reaching 31% at 30 days (vs 15% after Non-AsP and 11% in the rest of the cohort, P < .001), and 69% 2 years after admission (vs 56% and 49%, P < .001). After adjustment for confounders, AsP was significantly associated with mortality but non-AsP was not [adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI): 3.09 (1.72-5.57) at 30 days and 1.67 (1.13-2.45) at 2 years for AsP; 1.36 (0.77-2.39) and 1.14 (0.85-1.52) for non-AsP]. However, among patients who survived at 30 days, mortality did not significantly differ between the 3 groups (P = .1). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In an unselected cohort of patients hospitalized in an acute geriatric unit, a third of AsP patients died within the first month after admission. However, among those surviving at 30 days, long-term mortality did not significantly differ from the rest of the cohort. These findings underline the importance of optimizing the early management of AsP.

Validation of the applicability of the mealtime observation checklist in predicting the risk of aspiration pneumonia in older adults receiving oral intake support: A retrospective cohort study of four long-term care facilities.

AIM: In Japan, a 24-item mealtime observation checklist (MOCL) was developed in 2015 to support oral intake and prevent aspiration in older adults. The MOCL consists of signs/symptoms/conditions that reflect eating and swallowing functions and oral conditions. This study aimed to examine the association between each MOCL item and the onset of aspiration pneumonia (AP). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 199 older adults with difficulties in oral intake residing in four long-term care facilities. The association between the time to the onset of AP (6 months follow-up) and each MOCL item was examined using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The median (25th, 75th percentiles) age of the participants was 87 (82, 91.5) years; 131 (65.8%) were women; and 24 developed AP during the study period. After adjusting for the characteristics of participants, six items were significantly associated with the onset of AP: "Has difficulty maintaining a sitting position" (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37-7.88), "Sleep while eating" (HR = 3.45, 95% CI: 1.12-10.59), "Has difficulty starting to eat, frequently interrupts eating even after starting to eat, and has difficulty concentrating on eating" (HR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.10-5.72), "Has fatigue because additional time is needed to eat" (HR = 3.08, 95% CI: 1.32-7.20), "Dry mouth" (HR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.21-6.67), and "Assisted feeding is required" (HR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.21-6.93). CONCLUSIONS: Of the 24 items on the MOCL, we found six items that might contribute to screening older adults at a high risk of AP onset. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 376-382.

Dysphagia-related acute stroke complications: A retrospective observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Post-stroke dysphagia is associated with aspiration pneumonia, but strategies intended to mitigate this complication, such as oral intake modifications, may unintentionally lead to dehydration-related complications such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and constipation. This study aimed to determine the rates of aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, UTI and constipation in a large cohort of acute stroke patients and the independent predictors of each complication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were extracted retrospectively for 31,953 acute stroke patients admitted to six hospitals in Adelaide, South Australia over a 20-year period. Tests of difference compared rates of complications between patients with and without dysphagia. Multiple logistic regression modelling explored variables that significantly predicted each complication. RESULTS: In this consecutive cohort of acute stroke patients, with a mean (SD) age of 73.8 (13.8) years and 70.2% presenting with ischaemic stroke, rates of complications were: aspiration pneumonia (6.5%); dehydration (6.7%); UTI (10.1%); and constipation (4.4%). Each complication was significantly more prevalent for patients with dysphagia compared to those without. Controlling for demographic and other clinical variables, the presence of dysphagia independently predicted aspiration pneumonia (OR=2.61, 95% CI 2.21-3.07; p<.001), dehydration (OR=2.05, 95% CI 1.76-2.38; p<.001), UTI (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.16-1.56; p<.001), and constipation (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.07-1.59; p=.009). Additional predictive factors were increased age and prolonged hospitalisation. CONCLUSIONS: Aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, UTI, and constipation are common acute sequelae of stroke and independently associated with dysphagia. Future dysphagia intervention initiatives may utilise these reported complication rates to evaluate their impact on all four adverse health complications.

Usefulness of SMART-COP score in prognosis of aspiration pneumonia / Utilidad de la puntuación en la escala SMART-COP para el pronóstico de la neumonía por aspiración

Introduction: Aspiration pneumonia is becoming a common syndrome in the elderly in aging societies such as Japan. Although a number of tools have been validated for prediction of mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia, none have been established for aspiration pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to access the correlations of the A-DROP, CURB-65 and SMART-COP scores at the emergency visit with the 30-day mortality risk in patients with aspiration pneumonia.MethodsWe Titleretrospectively investigated 210 patients who presented to the emergency department at Mishuku Hospital in Tokyo, Japan.ResultsThe areas under the curve for the ability of A-DROP, Curb-65 and SMART-COP scores to predict the 30-day mortality risk were 0.6359, 0.6468 and 0.7594, respectively. Among the parameters of SMART-COP, involvement of multiple lobes on chest radiographs is the best predictor of the mortality.ConclusionsThe SMART-COP score can be a better predictor of the 30-day mortality risk. (AU)

Introducción: La neumonía por aspiración se está convirtiendo en un síndrome frecuente entre las personas de la tercera edad en sociedades envejecidas como Japón. A pesar de que se han aprobado diversas herramientas para la predicción de la mortalidad en pacientes con neumonía adquirida en la comunidad, no se ha logrado ninguna para la neumonía por aspiración. El objetivo de este estudio fue obtener correlaciones entre las puntuaciones en las escalas A-DROP, CURB-65 y SMART-COP en las visitas al servicio de urgencias y el riesgo de mortalidad a 30 días en pacientes con neumonía por aspiración.MétodosInvestigamos de forma retroactiva 210 pacientes que acudieron al servicio de urgencias del Hospital Mishuku en Tokio, Japón, y que fueron hospitalizados con neumonía por aspiración.ResultadosLas áreas bajo la curva de capacidad de las puntuaciones en las escalas A-DROP, CURB-65 y SMART-COP para predecir el riesgo de mortalidad a 30 días fueron 0,6359; 0,6468 y 0,7594, respectivamente. Entre los parámetros de la escala SMART-COP, la afectación de múltiples lóbulos en las radiografías de tórax es el mejor indicador de la mortalidad.ConclusionesLa puntuación en la escala SMART-COP puede ser un mejor indicador del riesgo de mortalidad a 30 días. (AU)

Validity of diagnoses of respiratory diseases recorded in a Japanese administrative database.

BACKGROUND: Validating the information recorded in administrative databases is essential. However, no study has comprehensively validated the accuracy of Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) data on various respiratory diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the validity of diagnoses of respiratory diseases in the DPC database. METHODS: We conducted chart reviews of 400 patients hospitalized in the departments of respiratory medicine in two acute-care hospitals in Tokyo, between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2021, and used them as reference standards. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of DPC data on 25 respiratory diseases were determined. RESULTS: Sensitivity ranged from 22.2% (aspiration pneumonia) to 100% (chronic eosinophilic pneumonia and malignant pleural mesothelioma) and was <50% for eight diseases, while specificity was >90% for all diseases. PPV ranged from 40.0% (aspiration pneumonia) to 100% (coronavirus disease 2019, bronchiectasis, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, lung cancer of other histological types, and malignant pleural mesothelioma) and was >80% for 16 diseases. Except for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (82.9%) and interstitial pneumonia (other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) (85.4%), NPV was >90% for all diseases. These validity indices were similar in both hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The validity of diagnoses of respiratory diseases in the DPC database was high in general, thereby providing an important basis for future studies.

Dysphagia.

Dysphagia, or difficult swallowing, can result in malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, and airway obstruction. Some primary etiologies of dysphagia include neurological disorders, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, head and neck cancer, cervical spine injury, and stroke. Home care clinicians are often the first healthcare professionals to encounter patients exhibiting signs of dysphagia and can play an important role in identifying, referring, and educating patients with dysphagia. This article will discuss the broad types of dysphagia, the signs and symptoms that suggest dysphagia, and the possible etiology and treatment.

Preliminary study evaluating the assessment of changes in pulmonary function associated with body positioning in dogs with suspected aspiration pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the variability in arterial blood gas (ABG) assessment of pulmonary function with different body positioning in dogs with suspected aspiration pneumonia. KEY FINDINGS: The median differences in alveolar-arterial gradient, Pao2 , and Paco2 values in different recumbencies were not statistically significantly different, both within patients and across the study population. No difference was noted in ABG values in the subgroups with unilateral or bilateral disease or that were more affected on the right side versus the left side. SIGNIFICANCE: This preliminary study provides data that can be used to calculate appropriate sample sizes for subsequent studies investigating the impact of recumbency on pulmonary function in patients with aspiration pneumonia.

Dysphagia in hospitalized patients: Prevalence, related factors and impact on aspiration pneumonia and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Oropharyngeal dysphagia can be highly concerning in hospitalized patients, increasing morbidity and mortality, making its early identification essential. We aimed to characterize dysphagia and its association with aspiration pneumonia and mortality in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona, Spain. METHODS: Using data from all hospital discharges during the period 2018-2021, we identified the characteristics of patients with dysphagia and their distribution among hospital departments through the minimum data set, which codifies patients' diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10). We used logistic regression models to assess the association between dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia and mortality. RESULTS: Dysphagia was present in 2.4% of all hospital discharges and was more frequent in older patients and in men. The diagnoses most frequently associated with dysphagia were aspiration pneumonia (48.2%) and stroke (14%). Higher prevalence of dysphagia was found in the acute geriatric unit (10.3%), neurology (7.6%) and internal medicine (7.5%) wards. Dysphagia was associated with aspiration pneumonia, aOR = 8.04 (95%CI, 6.31-10.25), and independently increased the odds of death among hospitalized patients, aOR = 1.43 (95%CI, 1.19-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that dysphagia is a prevalent and transversal condition, increasing the risk of mortality in all patients, and efforts should be intensified to increase its early detection and correct management.