Inhaling a substance into your lungs can cause a lung inflammation and infection (aspiration pneumonia). The situation may be more serious when a person: Has signs of choking (complete airway obstruction). When the windpipe is blocked, air can't move in and out of the lungs.
In literature there are many case reports of inhaled foreign bodies. Aspirated Pill is a rare type of foreign body and may present innocuously as breathlessness or asthma or dry cough and hence can be easily missed.
Typically, a foreign body aspiration causes respiratory symptoms such as: Choking. Coughing. Difficulty breathing and/or abnormal breathing sounds.
Pneumonitis induced by a pill is commonly seen in elderly patients with pill aspiration. It may progress quickly leading to rapid deterioration of the patient. The airway could be compromised leading to a life-threatening situation.
Coughing and drinking extra water can help dislodge the pill. If the pill goes down the wrong tube and gets stuck in the windpipe, you may need to perform back slaps and abdominal thrusts (formerly known as the Heimlich maneuver) to dislodge the pill and avoid a choking accident.
Aspiration pneumonia can cause breathing problems that may require supplemental oxygen, steroids, or a breathing machine. Severe aspiration pneumonia may require hospitalization. Antibiotics may be prescribed. Depending on the cause and severity of the aspiration, a feeding tube may be required.
Symptoms of aspiration (inhaling something like secretions) start very quickly, even one to two hours after you inhale something you shouldn't have. It may take a day or two for pneumonia to develop.
Because you don't notice it, you don't cough. But in most cases, you: Feel something stuck in your throat. Hurt when you swallow, or it's hard to do.
You can occasionally aspirate a small amount of something and not develop serious problems. Most of the time, your body clears it out with coughing. But if you have silent aspiration, you probably don't know that it's happening or how often.
Pill aspiration is a rare yet overlooked cause of airway injury. It represents 7% of all foreign body (FB) aspirations in adults.1)
Pill-induced esophagitis is a rare cause of acute chest pain. Patients likely to be affected are those with underlying esophageal disorders, those who ingest medications without a sufficient amount of water, or adopt a supine position during or shortly after swallowing medication.
Bleomycin, gold salts, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate are the most common drugs that cause this form of lung injury (,2,,4,,11). Amiodarone, nitrofurantoin, penicillamine, and sulfasalazine are less common causes of drug-induced BOOP (,11). Affected patients present with progressive dyspnea, dry cough, and fever.
When the respiratory system is healthy and strong, pulmonary aspiration often clears up on its own. When the respiratory system is compromised or a digestive disorder causes chronic pulmonary aspiration, a bacterial infection can occur, causing pneumonia.
Pulmonary aspiration is a common medical emergency, especially in patients with endotracheal tubes or other aspiration risk factors.
Note any signs of aspiration such as dyspnea, cough, cyanosis, wheezing, or fever. Signs of aspiration should be identified as soon as possible to prevent further aspiration and to initiate treatment that can be life-saving.
Download a great infographic for this blog! While the mortality rate of aspiration pneumonia depends on complications of the disease, the 30-day mortality rate hovers around 21%, with a higher rate of 29.7% in hospital-associated aspiration pneumonia.
Doxycycline, iron supplements, and vitamin C pills create acidic solutions when dissolved in water or saliva. The antiseizure medication phenytoin (Dilantin®) produces alkaline fluid when mixed with water. The acidic or alkaline fluid can cause tissue damage and burns when these pills become stuck in the esophagus.
Pill esophagitis is about more than a pill "getting stuck in the throat." It is caused when certain medications injure the lining of the esophagus, called the esophageal mucosa , causing chest pain, heartburn, and other symptoms.
Drug or pill-induced esophagitis is esophageal mucosal injury caused by the medications and usually refers to a direct toxic effect on esophageal mucosa by the culprit medication. Common symptoms include retrosternal pain, dysphagia, or odynophagia.
Rapid, noisy, or high-pitched breathing. Increased drooling. Trouble swallowing, pain when swallowing, or complete inability to swallow. Gagging.