Monitor for signs of developing bacterial pneumonia Lung: bacterial pneumonia.Management or treatment of underlying cause if identified.Empirical selection is appropriate initially but ultimate choice should be based on results of culture and sensitivity.Antibiotics should be broad spectrum with good pulmonary penetration.Antibiotic therapy Therapeutics: antimicrobial drug should be started immediately (even if bacterial infection isn't present at time of aspiration there is a real risk of its development).Increase oxygen levels in environment with oxygen cage or nasal oxygen administration Nasal oxygen administration.Cage rest may be required to stabilise condition of any severely dyspneic animal.Pulmonary neoplasia Lung: pulmonary neoplasia.Pulmonary infiltration with eosinophils Lung: pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia.Bacterial pneumonia Lung: bacterial pneumonia.Samples obtained by bronchioalveolar lavage should be submitted for bacterial culture and sensitivity testing.Ĭonfirmation of diagnosis Discriminatory diagnostic features.Neutrophilia with or without left shift (increased band neutrophils).Blood samples may show evidence of inflammation or infection:.Bacteria may be present either free or within neutrophils.If gastrointestinal tract contents have been aspirated neutrophils may contain particulate debris.Increased neutrophils which may show toxic changes.Cytological examination of samples collected by bronchioalveolar lavage may have increased numbers of acute inflammatory cells.May see evidence of underlying etiology, eg megaesophagus.Often dependent areas or cranial lung lobes most affected.Increased patchy soft tissue densities throughout lung fields.Thoracic radiographs Radiography: thorax are indicated.Increased lung sounds locally on auscultation.May be history of underlying disorder, eg laryngeal dysfunction, retching, vomiting.These animals may show acute episodes of exacerbation as a result of secondary bacterial infections.In animals with laryngeal dysfunction may be chronic course with repeated aspiration of foreign material.Secondary bacterial infection due to aspiration of bacteria or as a result of damage to the alveoli reducing immunocompetence.Large volumes of aspirate not only damage a larger area of respiratory epithelium but volumes of liquid may have a near drowning effect.Inert material, eg barium or liquid paraffin may not cause severe damage initally but is not readily cleared from respiratory tree and may persist for years resulting in granulomatous changes.
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Acid material (pH The severity of the damage depends to some extent on the nature of the material aspirated:.
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