Background: Aspiration is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. It is the most common cause of pneumonia and one of the most serious adverse effects of enteral nutrition support. It is important to use standardized terminology to define and discuss aspiration-related illnesses.
Methods: Review of the medical literature and extraction of definitions and descriptions of aspiration-related illnesses.
Results: Definitions, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of common aspiration-related illnesses are discussed.
Conclusions: Precisely defined terminology of aspiration-related illnesses adds consistency to this area of medicine and simplifies analysis and comparison of clinical studies.