How come when food goes in the lungs and we choke, the food doesn’t eventually rot in the lungs? How do we get it out or does it decompose
In: Biology
Oh you can. Swallowing is often compromised in older folks (the population I work with) and it results in aspiration pneumonia. Patients who are fed with a tube inserted through the abdomen into the stomach are at risk, especially if you don’t keep them positioned with the head of the bed elevated 30-45 degrees. The feeding can wash up the esophagus and be aspirated into the lungs. This is especially bad as the feeding has fat in it. Lipid aspiration is bad. It impairs the way the tissues work and takes a while to resolve. If someone inhales a chunk of food, they can do a bronchoscopy and try to fish it out, depending on where it is. Inhaled food tends to end up in the right mainstem bronchus (the part where the large tube splits to go to each lung) because of the shape of the anatomy. Anything liquid gets inhaled down further along with bacteria from the oral cavity and will be bacteria food and cause infection. We give people with impaired swallow food and beverages with an altered texture (i.e. thickened liquids) to help them swallow better to decrease the chance of aspiration. Speech therapists teach techniques to help strengthen the muscles and coordinate their swallow. It’s a big deal. Aspiration pneumonia kills many elderly folks.
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