Dysphagia clinicians often recommend alteration of dietary regimens, altered head positioning, or removal of all oral intake. While studies have suggested that thickening liquids can decrease aspiration through slowed pharyngeal transit time, they have also demonstrated increased pharyngeal residues with risk for delayed aspiration. The ability of clinical interventions to reduce pneumonia incidence is relatively unknown. Dietary modifications or nothing-by-mouth status also have no effect on a patient's ability to handle their own secretions. A patient's individual vigor may impact the development of pulmonary infections more than aspiration. Also increased pneumonia risk exists in patients with esophageal dysphagia when compared to stroke patients because patients with stroke will improve as they recover from their acute injury, whereas esophageal dysphagia is likely to worsen with time. In one cohort of<unk>  patients, overall three-year mortality was 40%. Studies have shown that<unk>  has been associated with an overall increased in-hospital mortality as compared with other forms of pneumonia. Further studies investigating differing time spans including 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and 1-year mortality. Individuals diagnosed with<unk>  were also at increased risk of developing future episodes of pneumonia. In fact, these individuals were also found to be at higher risk for readmission after being discharged from the hospital. Lastly, one study found that individuals diagnosed with<unk>  were more likely to fail treatment compared to other types of pneumonia.
Aspiration pneumonia
Chemical pneumonitis
Bacterial pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Viral pneumonia
Pulmonary aspiration
Occult pneumonia
Pleural empyema