Abstract
Aspiration pneumonia is defined as lung injury caused by the contents of the oral cavity, pharynges, and gaster accidentally entering the airway. It is divided broadly into three categories: chemical injury, aspiration of particulate food matter, and injury by pathogenic bacteria. Aspiration pneumonia during general anesthesia is very rare, occurring in only 0.01-0.03% of cases. The process of lung injury by chemical pneumonitis is divided into two phases: direct chemical injury and secondary inflammation reaction in the lung tissue. In severe cases, excess inflammation reaction in the lung tissue leads to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome and causes acute respiratory distress syndrome. We report a case of aspiration pneumonia of gastric juice occurring upon induction of general anesthesia for orthognathic surgery in a 23-year-old male. Immediate treatment in the intensive care unit resulted in satisfactory progress. We confirmed later that he had an esophageal hiatal hernia. It is important to prevent perioperative complications and consider measures for aspiration pneumonia.
