CHRONIC ASPIRATION

Course overview

CHRONIC ASPIRATION IS A COMMON CONDITION THAT OCCURS IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION, PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CERTAIN NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND CHRONICALLY INTUBATED PATIENTS. PATIENTS WITH RISK FACTORS FOR DYSPHAGIA SHOULD BE PROMPTLY EVALUATED BY A FORMAL SPEECH AND SWALLOW STUDY AND TO TRY TO PREVENT ASPIRATION FROM OCCURRING. SILENT ASPIRATION OCCURS IN EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF AGE, BUT THOSE WITH CERTAIN CO-MORBIDITIES ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR THE DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC ASPIRATION PNEUMONIA AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.