what is the outcome of a 74 year old women having a stroke and pneumonia at the same time?

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Pneumonia in a 74 year-old after a stroke is typically due to aspiration of material into the airways during swallowing. Much of the time, the cough reflex is diminished or absent, so the patient is unable to protect the lungs (also called "silent" aspiration) from saliva, liquids, foods and reflux.
Hopefully, they have put in a feeding tube to prevent further episodes. Sometimes the problem can be treated by a speech pathologist who is trained in swallowing disorders. It is absolutely necessary to have a real-time xray study of her swallowing, called "videofluoroscopy of swallowing" or a "swallowing study". (a bedside swallowing exam cannot detect silent aspiration). During the study, the patient is given various food and liquid textures with barium contrast in order to determine what, if anything, the patient can ingest safely. It also allows the speech pathologist to try out positioning techniques and alternation of textures to assist in designing a treatment plan, as well as to measure progress in therapy.
If she recovers from the pneumonia, she's got a better chance of recovering somewhat. It's impossible to give a prognosis without knowing the full story.
I hope this helps.....

Answer 3

A lot has to do with her health otherwise and the severity of the stroke. The pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics, but it is a question of how compromised her system is by the stroke. It is a tough double-whammy. Talk to her doctor and get his/her prognosis. Hope for the best.

Answer 4

It would depend upon how extensive the stroke is (one whole side of her body, vision problems, difficulty in talking, etc.), and how much of the lung capacity is compromised. How much trouble does she have in breathing? The kind of pneumonia is important, too--viral or bacterial or fungal? Is she a smoker?

Too many variables to give an accurate answer, but if it was MY mother, I'd be moderately concerned. It's a serious condition, but by no means hopeless.

Answer 5

Depends on what part of the brain the stroke affected and how severe the pneumonia is.

Answer 6

Not being a medical doctor, but I am a Quack, I would say the prognosis would be a painful one.