Aspiration pneumonia is a specific form of lung infection (pneumonia) that develops when oral or gastric contents (including food, saliva, or nasal secretions) enter the bronchial tree. Depending on the acidity of the aspirate, a chemical pneumonitis can develop, and bacterial pathogens (particularly anaerobic bacteria) may add to the inflammation. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs. ... An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require oxygen. ...

Aspiration pneumonia is often caused by an incompetent swallowing mechanism, such as occurs in some forms of neurological disease (a common cause being strokes) or while a person is intoxicated. An iatrogenic cause is during general anaesthesia for an operation and patients are therefore instructed to have Nil by Mouth (fluids and food) for at least 4hours before surgery. Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the reflex in the human body that makes something pass from the mouth, through the esophagus. ... A stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted by occlusion (an ischemic stroke- approximately 90% of strokes), by hemorrhage (a hemorrhagic stroke - less than 10% of strokes) or other causes. ... This article or section should include material from drunkenness Intoxication is an impaired mental and physical state caused by ingesting alcoholic beverages or other psychoactive drugs. ... An iatrogenic (pronounced , IPA) condition is a state of ill health or adverse effect caused by medical treatment, usually due to mistakes made in treatment. ... In modern medical practice, general anaesthesia is a complex procedure involving: preanaesthetic assessment administration of general anaesthetic drugs cardiorespiratory monitoring analgesia airway management fluid management // Preanaesthetic Evaluation Before surgery, the anaesthesiologist or nurse anaesthetist will do a preanaesthetic evaluation to determine which drugs (including dosages), additional invasive monitors and/or... The word operation can mean any of several things: The method, act, process, or effect of using a device or system. ... Nil per os (NPO) is Latin for a medical instruction meaning to withhold oral food and fluids from a patient for various reasons. ...

The right lower lobe of the lung is the most common location of aspiration pneumonia. This is due to the anatomy of the bronchial tree and gravity: in patients who are upright, the bronchus serving this lobe is oriented almost vertically, leaving it at greatest risk to be the target of aspirated secretions. Jump to: navigation, search The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ...

Whether aspiration pneumonia represents a true bacterial infection or a chemical inflammatory process remains the subject of significant controversy. Both causes may present with similar symptoms.