Aspiration of gastric contents in sudden infant death syndrome without cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
OBJECTIVE
(1) To compare demographic profiles among sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) infants with or without gastric aspiration, for whom cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) had not been attempted; (2) to review the severity and potential significance of aspiration in those SIDS cases; and (3) to assess the risk of supine sleep position with regard to gastric aspiration.


METHODS
Retrospective review of records and microscopic slides for all postneonatal SIDS cases (29 to 365 days of age) accessioned by the San Diego County Medical Examiner from 1991 to 2004.


RESULTS
Ten (14%) of 69 cases of SIDS infants who had not undergone CPR before autopsy revealed microscopic evidence of gastric aspiration into the distal lung; this group was not otherwise clinically or pathologically different from cases of SIDS infants without aspiration. Similar proportions of infants were found supine or prone, regardless of gastric aspiration.


CONCLUSIONS
Gastric aspiration is not uncommon in infants dying of SIDS, and supine sleep position does not increase its risk. Gastric aspiration may be a terminal event that some infants, representing a subset of SIDS cases, cannot overcome.
Krous
Henry F
HF
Department of Pathology, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California 92123, USA. hkrous@chsd.org
Masoumi
Homeyra
H
Haas
Elisabeth A
EA
Chadwick
Amy E
AE
Stanley
Christina
C
Thach
Bradley T
BT
D001344:Autopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D016684:Prone Position; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016683:Supine Position