Abstract
Aspiration pneumonia is a common infection in older adults and has a high mortality rate. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is the major mechanism leading to aspiration pneumonia in the older adult. Many conditions that are prevalent in the older adult population such as stroke, parkinsonism, dementia, and institutionalization have an increased incidence of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Aspiration pneumonia is a bacterial pulmonary infection which is dependent upon the amount of bacterial inoculum, the virulence of the organism, and the host immune system. It is treated with antibiotic therapy that is similar to therapies for traditional community-acquired or health-care-associated pneumonia. In the advanced stages of terminal illness, a palliative care approach may be most appropriate. This review seeks to look at aspiration pneumonia focusing on oropharyngeal dysphagia, the microbiology of aspiration pneumonia and the palliative care aspects.
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