Atelectasis

I apologize for this post, but I needed to add it to my index…under aspirational pneumonia.

As one person reported: “In my case due to paralysis of chest muscles and diaphragms my lungs are collapsing from bottom up. about halfway. they fill with fluid at night and i call it waterboarding it feels like drowning and technically it is. Dry Drowning.”

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Pulmonary complications remain a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Obstructive and restrictive airway deficits are related to disordered motor control of the respiratory musculature. Although this may sometimes lead to overt symptoms, such as stridor and respiratory failure, it more commonly results in silent aspiration and atelectasis, predisposing patients to pneumonia.

……………………………………………….from Pub Med:

CONCLUSION:

Silent aspiration and laryngeal penetration of saliva are common features in PD patients with daily drooling. The presence of hypoesthesia of the laryngeal structures and the lack of protective reflexes in such patients may play a major role in the mechanisms of SLP/SA.

………………………… also from Pub Med

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Aspiration pneumonia is a leading cause of death in people with Parkinson disease (PD). The pathogenesis of these infections is largely attributed to the presence of dysphagia with silent aspiration or aspiration without an appropriate cough response. The goal of this study was to test reflex cough thresholds and associated urge-to-cough (UTC) ratings in participants with PD with and without dysphagia.

CONCLUSIONS:

UTC ratings may be important in understanding the mechanism underlying morbidity related to aspiration pneumonia in people with PD and dysphagia. Further understanding of decreased UTC in people with PD and dysphagia will be essential for the development of strategies and treatments to address airway protection deficits in this population.