[Aspiration bronchopneumonia as a complication of acute poisoning with psychotropic drugs].

In the five year period, retrospectively and prospectively, the frequency, clinical, radiographic and bacteriological characteristics of the aspiration bronchopneumonia (ABPN) were followed in the acute poisoning by psychotropic drugs (PD). In 1769 patients with acute poisoning by PD, ABPN was determined in 44 (2.49%) patients, and most frequently in groups with polymedicamentous (5.99%) and neuroleptic (5.17%) poisoning, and rarely in the group poisoned by anxiolytics (0.77%). Severest poisonings by PD were complicated by ABPN in 16.84% of cases. High conformity of clinical and radiographic finding of bronchopneumonia was achieved. The diagnosis of bronchopneumonia was established on the day of admission at the Clinic in 81.9% of cases on the other day in 13.6% and on the third day in 4.5% of patients. Bacteriological examination of sputum revealed the pathogens in 63.6% of patients, but in no patients the anaerobic bacteria were isolated. The treatment was very complex, and beside the detoxification measures, it was necessary to remove the aspirated contents from the respiratory tract (usually during endotracheal intubation or therapeutic bronchoscopy) and immediately apply antibiotics. The examinees were hospitalized twice longer than the patients whose course of poisoning by PD was not complicated by ABPN. The poisoning ended lethally in two (4.5%) patients. In no cases the ABPN was the immediate cause of death, but it significantly contributed to the lethal outcome.