How to Differentiate VAP & Aspiration Pneumonia

Symptoms of pneumonia can differ depending on the organism causing the pneumonia and the type of pneumonia. Symptoms range from coughing, sneezing and fever to headache, muscle pain and fatigue. Differentiating between VAP -- or ventilated-associated pneumonia -- and aspiration pneumonia depends on the medical history of the patient and the symptoms that the patient presents. Aspiration pneumonia is due to inhalation of gastric contents into the lungs. Physicians can hear a problem in the lungs while the patient is inhaling due to blockage. VAP is pneumonia that occurs in patients on mechanical ventilators for longer than two days. VAP is also caused by bacteria, however the longer the patient is on the ventilator the greater the likelihood the organism is antibiotic resistant.

Instructions

• 1

  Examine the patient. Doing a thorough physical examination will differentiate between VAP and aspiration pneumonia. Asking patient's past medical history can point to clues in coming up with diagnosis. Examine the chest with a stethoscope. Listen for sounds while the person inhales and exhales. Crackles, rumbling and bubbling are abnormal findings and additional tests must be done.

• 2

  Do a chest X-ray, which can confirm if the patient has pneumonia. Experienced physicians, especially radiologists, pulmonary experts and cardiologists can read chest X-rays for the presence of pneumonia.

• 3

  Withdraw blood samples from the patient to test for the possible causing organism. Pneumonia can be caused by many bacteria and viruses. It important to distinguish the cause of the pneumonia in order to take appropriate treatment steps.

• 4

  Test mucus production. Testing any mucus that person coughs up or spits out is important because it can be used to identify bacteria causing the pneumonia. VAP and aspiration pneumonia have two very different medical histories. Any patient left on a ventilator will have a high risk of getting VAP, whereas someone who inhales a small piece of food will most like have aspiration pneumonia the longer the objects sits in the respiratory tract.