Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026
Murine Oropharyngeal Aspiration Model of Ventilator-associated and Hospital-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
Published on: June 28, 2018
Characteristics of Children Hospitalized With Aspiration Pneumonia
Alexander W Hirsch1, Michael C Monuteaux1, Genna Fruchtman1
1Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Insights
Children with aspiration pneumonia (AP) have longer, more expensive hospital stays and higher ICU admission and readmission rates compared to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). AP disproportionately affects children with complex medical conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Hospital Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Limited data exists on patient demographics and hospitalization characteristics for pediatric aspiration pneumonia (AP) compared to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
- Understanding these differences is crucial for resource allocation and patient management in pediatric healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize and compare patient and hospitalization data for children diagnosed with AP versus CAP.
- To identify key differences in demographics, comorbidities, and healthcare utilization between these two pediatric pneumonia types.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large national database (Pediatric Health Information System) from 47 US children's hospitals (2009-2014).
- Compared patient characteristics (age, complex chronic conditions) and hospital characteristics (length of stay, ICU admission, cost, 30-day readmission) between AP and CAP cohorts.
- Assessed seasonal variability in hospitalizations for both conditions.
Main Results:
- 12,097 children with AP and 121,489 with CAP were identified.
- Children with AP were younger and more likely to have complex chronic conditions than those with CAP.
- AP hospitalizations were longer, with higher ICU admission rates, higher 30-day readmission rates, and a median cost 2.4 times higher than CAP.
- CAP showed greater seasonal hospitalization variation than AP.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric aspiration pneumonia primarily impacts children with medical complexity.
- AP hospitalizations are associated with significantly longer stays, increased costs, and higher critical care and readmission rates compared to CAP.
- These findings highlight the substantial burden of AP in medically complex children and inform clinical and economic considerations.
Objectives:
Unlike community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), there is a paucity of data characterizing the patient demographics and hospitalization characteristics of children with aspiration pneumonia. We used a large national database of US children's hospitals to assess the patient and hospitalization characteristics associated with aspiration pneumonia and compared these characteristics to patients with CAP.
Methods:
We identified children hospitalized with a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia or CAP at 47 hospitals included in the Pediatric Health Information System between 2009 and 2014. We evaluated whether differences exist in patient characteristics (median age and proportion of patients with a complex chronic condition), and hospital characteristics (length of stay, ICU admission, cost, and 30-day readmission rate) between children with aspiration pneumonia and CAP. Lastly, we assessed whether seasonal variability exists within these 2 conditions.
Results:
Over the 6-year study period, there were 12 097 children hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia, and 121 489 with CAP. Compared with children with CAP, children with aspiration pneumonia were slightly younger and more likely to have an associated complex chronic condition. Those with aspiration pneumonia had longer hospitalizations, higher rates of ICU admission, and higher 30-day readmission rates. Additionally, the median cost for hospitalization was 2.4 times higher for children with aspiration pneumonia than for children with CAP. More seasonal variation was observed for CAP compared with aspiration pneumonia hospitalizations.
Conclusions:
Aspiration pneumonia preferentially affects children with medical complexity and, as such, accounts for longer and more costly hospitalizations and higher rates of ICU admission and readmission rates.
More Related Videos
05:50Author Spotlight: Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gastric Content Assessment and Risk Stratification in Perioperative Care
Published on: September 22, 2023
09:16Open Tracheostomy Gastric Acid Aspiration Murine Model of Acute Lung Injury Results in Maximal Acute Nonlethal Lung Injury
Published on: February 26, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:29Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
01:20Sputum Studies II: Culture and Sensitivity
Sputum culture and sensitivity is a medical procedure used to diagnose bacterial infections in the respiratory tract and select the most appropriate antibiotics for treatment. This process involves analyzing sputum samples of thick and opaque secretions produced in the lungs and airways. These samples are collected from patients and then sent to the laboratory for analysis.
The test can identify various pathogens responsible for respiratory infections, including Streptococcus,...