Incidence of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum in patients with aspiration pneumonia requiring ventilatory support.

In a prospective study of patients with ventilatory support, six (38 percent) of 16 patients who had ventilatory support because of aspiration pneumonia developed pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. In contrast, the incidence of barotrauma in the entire group of patients who had ventilatory support during a year was 4 percent (22/553) (P less than 0.001). This greater incidence in the group with aspiration pneumonia was also observed when patients who were receiving ventilatory support with positive end-expiratory pressure were excluded.