RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Clinical features and prognostic factors in elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP P2500 VO 40 IS Suppl 56 A1 Seo Woo Kim A1 Yon Ju Ryu A1 Seok Jung Lee A1 Jin Hwa Lee A1 Jung Hyun Chang A1 Sung Shine Shim YR 2012 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P2500.abstract AB BACKGROUNDS: The aims of this study were to investigate the clinical features, risk factors, and outcomes of patients with aspiration pneumonia and to identify the prognostic factors contributing to mortality in these patients.METHOD: Following a retrospective review of clinical data and radiographic findings between 2006 and 2010, 176 patients were enrolled in this study.RESULTS: The median age of patients was 75 years (range, 66-81), and 125 (71%) patients were male. 89 (51%) were admitted to the medical ICU and their clinical course was fulminant as a result of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation in 79 (45%), septic shock in 36, ARDS in 20, and multi-organ failure in 26. Overall in-hospital mortality was 22.7% (40/176) with a median survival of 18 (range 9-43) days. Comorbidities or risk factors associated aspiration included cerebrovascular accidents (n =79), bed-ridden status (n =67), DM (n =58), dysphagia (n =57), malignancy (n =29), dementia (n =25), alcoholism (n =18) and Parkinson's disease (n =14). The leading pathogen considered to be associated with pneumonia is MRSA (n =60), followed by A. baumanii (n =24), K. pneumonia (n =19), and P. aeruginosa (n =17). Independent predictive factors of in-hospital mortality included septic shock (HR 7.1, 95% CI, 2.6-19.3, P<0.001), dysphagia (HR 5.3, 95% CI, 1.5-19.1, P=0.010), hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin ≤ 2.5g/dL) (HR 2.7, 95% CI, 1.1-6.9, P=0.038), and CVA (HR 2.6, 95% CI, 1.1-6.5, P=0.036).CONCLUSION: Aspiration pneumonia has a high mortality rate and poor prognosis, particularly in patients with septic shock, dysphagia, hypoalbuminemia, CVA.