Semin Respir Crit Care Med
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1792111
Francois Fadell
1
VA Western New York Healthcare System, Research and Development, Buffalo, New York
2
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
,
Ranime Saliba
1
VA Western New York Healthcare System, Research and Development, Buffalo, New York
2
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
,
Ali A. El-Solh
1
VA Western New York Healthcare System, Research and Development, Buffalo, New York
2
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
3
Department of Anesthesiology, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
4
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
› Author Affiliations
Funding The study was supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (AES IO1CX 001656).
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Abstract
Aspiration pneumonia refers to the process of alveolar inflammation induced by the inhalation of oropharyngeal secretions into the lower respiratory tract. Predisposing factors comprise swallowing dysfunction, impaired cough reflex, and degenerative neurological diseases. Accumulating evidence projects a fading contribution of anaerobic bacteria in aspiration pneumonia at the expense of Gram-negative bacilli, with Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, becoming the predominant organisms recovered from respiratory specimens. Aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions colonized with respiratory pathogens induces a profound disequilibrium of the lung microbiota resulting in a state of dysbiosis. Understanding this complex temporal variability between microbiome–host associations was only made possible with the introduction of metagenomic sequencing. In this narrative review, we summarize existing knowledge and elaborate on the evolving microbiology of aspiration pneumonia including the link between oral microbiome and pulmonary aspiration. We also highlight the progress and challenges in instituting microbiome-targeted strategies for preventing and treating the sequelae of aspiration pneumonia.
Keywords
aspiration pneumonia -
microbiology -
microbiome -
diagnostic modalities
Note
The contents of this paper do not represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Government.
Publication History
Article published online:
13 November 2024
© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.
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