Respiratory disorders result from blockage of the respiratory tract involving the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and respiratory muscles. When the air passage is blocked, it can cause choking leading to death. In the case of Sammy, the vomit blocked the trachea, hindering the exchange of air, and that is why he started experiencing breathing problems.
Aspiration pneumonia is a condition that results in pulmonary aspiration complications. Sammy's vomit was breathed into the lungs or airways and then to the lung, and that caused irritation to the tissues. When a bacterium is introduced to the route, it infects the lung tissue, resulting in pneumonia (Gould & Dyer, 2010). The right lung is mostly affected in the middle and lower lobes. It can be explained by the presence of a larger caliber, with the right stem bronchus being vertically oriented. In the case of Sammy, one lung could have been affected more because of his positioning; lying on one side; thus, the vomitus being aspirated more to the most proximal lung. To determine the effect, various tests were required.
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Various tests were required to clarify the effect on Sammy. It would also be guided by the signs and symptoms noted with pathophysiological changes. The pathophysiological changes are due to secondary infection and mechanical blockage. An x-ray would be carried out to determine the diagnosis. Aspiration pneumonia is a result of gram-negative microbes (Ward, Jones, Friel, Hunt, & Murphy, 2018). The notable symptoms are increasing temperature, which happens due to fighting of the infection by the body. Cough with phlegm is noted, and it is either green or yellow, resulting from the lung's effort to expel the foreign matter (Aqeel & Jacobs, 2018). The vomitus finds its way into the lungs, which causes a chemical burn, thus lowering the pH level of contents. Once the alveolar endothelial capillary cells are destroyed, they produce a fluid rich in protein into the intra-alveoli space causing the alveoli to collapse, thus pulmonary edema. An increase in the volume of the dead space makes it hard to breathe, and that is why Sammy was wheezing (Marik, 2001). Coughing explains the effort as Sammy tried to get rid of the vomitus from the lungs. These complications are caused by changes in air space and breathing problems.
Sammy experienced hardships in breathing and wheezing due to mechanical blockage. It resulted from the reduced airways causing chest pain and wheezing. Inflammation makes the alveoli fill with air. The lungs loss elasticity and they cannot take in more oxygen into the bloodstream or expel carbon dioxide (Saglani, Lloyd, & Bush, 2019). If the condition is not treated, it leads to further complications and can be fatal.
Aspiration of vomitus has various potential complications. The vomitus blocks the air passage causing inflammation in the lungs. The immediate complications are reduced airflow into the lungs, infections, and bronchitis. It can also be fatal due to acute respiratory failure cutting air supply completely, and the victim chocks to death, severe lung injury, and empyema (Balasubramanian, 2018). The problem may also prolong to bronchiectasis and lung abscess.
Taking Sammy to the hospital immediately after the wheezing situation would help avoid the potential complications of the condition. The medical providers would help remove the vomitus before it causes lung inflammation. Proper treatment would also prevent acute cases and developing further complications.
References
Aqeel, M., & Jacobs, E. R. (2018). Aspiration Pneumonia/Bronchitis. In Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders (pp. 193-208). Springer, Cham.
Balasubramanian, D. (2018). Aspiration and Related Complications. In Dysphagia Management in Head and Neck Cancers (pp. 211-217). Springer, Singapore.
Gould, B. E., & Dyer, R. (2010). Pathophysiology for the Health Professions-E-Book . Elsevier Health Sciences.
Marik, P. E. (2001). Aspiration pneumonitis and aspiration pneumonia. New England Journal of Medicine , 344 (9), 665-671.
Saglani, S., Lloyd, C. M., & Bush, A. (2019). Biology and Assessment of Airway Inflammation. In Kendig's Disorders of the Respiratory Tract in Children (pp. 101-119). Content Repository Only!.
Ward, C., Jones, R., Friel, M., Hunt, E., & Murphy, D. (2018). Pathophysiology in the Lung. In Reflux Aspiration and Lung Disease (pp. 55-69). Springer, Cham.
