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Risk Assessment for and Strategies to Reduce Perioperative Pulmonary Complications
TO THE EDITOR:
In their clinical guidelines for risk assessment for and strategies to reduce perioperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing noncardiothoracic surgery, Qaseem and colleagues (1) have overlooked an important factor in preventing postoperative pneumonia related to acid aspiration. Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during the perioperative period may be associated with postoperative death or pulmonary morbidity (2). Although acid aspiration during induction of anesthesia is rare, with an incidence of 3 in 10 000, this complication …
