Pneumonia is a frequent medical complication that is mostly caused by aspiration and a major cause of death in patients with stroke. Clinical diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia, however, is so difficult that the study about the incidence in stroke os rare.

To study the incidence and clinical findings of aspiration pneumonia in the stroke patients, we reviewed medical records of 167 stroke patients in Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine of Asan Medical Center.

The results are as follows:

1) The incidence of aspiration pneumonia in 167 stroke patients was 16.8 percent (8.7 percent in ischemic insult and 19.8 percent in hemorrhagic patients, but showed no statistical difference).

2) Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common etiologic microorganism, and combination therapy of cephalosporin and aminoglycoside was preferred.

3) One case was died because of septic shock secondary to aspiration pneumonia, but others were recovered from aspiration pneumonia completely.