CLINICAL IMPACT OF EARLY BRONCHOSCOPY IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED PATIENTS WITH ASPIRATION PNEUMONIA

Mechanically ventilated patients with aspiration pneumonia who received bronchoscopy
in a medical intensive care unit at tertiary hospital from March 2003 to December
2013 were retrospectively reviewed. By definition, patients who underwent bronchoscopy
within 24 hours after intubation were categorized as the early bronchoscopy group.
We compared demographics, clinical parameters, and outcomes, including mortality,
between the two groups.