Pulmonary aspiration

A condition in which food, liquids, saliva, or vomit is breathed into the airways.
Risk factors include surgery, being less alert due to medications or illness, and drinking large amounts of alcohol. Pulmonary aspiration may lead to pneumonia or death by suffocation.
== Symptoms ==
Requires a medical diagnosis
Symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, and in some cases choking.
== Rarity ==
----Common
More than 200,000 US cases per year
Category:Respiratory system
Category:Common
Category:Critical
Category:Deadly