Abstract
Aspiration of gastric and oropharyngeal contents is an important clinical cause of acute lung injury (ALI) that has been recognized for more than 50 years. Epidemiologic studies of ALI, as well as clinical trials, have identified aspiration-induced lung injury as one of the major causes of ALI and the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [1], [2]. The most important etiological factor for aspiration-related lung injury is a depressed level of consciousness [3]. One group of investigators found that an altered level of consciousness was the major predisposing factor in 68% of cases [4]. Like other clinical disorders that predispose patients to the development of ALI, aspiration of gastric contents may be associated with other clinical risk factors including primary pneumonia, sepsis, hypotension, and drug overdose [2].
Published Version
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