Gurgling breath sounds may predict hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Objectives To determine whether gurgling sounds heard during speech or quiet breathing, with or without a stethoscope over the glottis, predict hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Methods All patients admitted to the respiratory or general medicine ward of a 350-bed community teaching hospital were eligible. Patients were examined each day, and those who had upper airway gurgling, heard with or without the stethoscope, during breathing or speech at any point during admission were noted. Assuming an overall incidence of HAP (>48 h after admission) of 5% to 10% and estimated incidence of 30% to 50% in patients with gurgle, 20 patients with gurgle and 60 patients without gurgle, matched on the same day and ward of admission, were included in the study. Demographic, physiologic, and outcome variables were compared using univariate and multivariate techniques to ascertain whether gurgling is independently associated with HAP, rate of transfer to ICU, and inhospital mortality. Results Twenty patients with gurgle were compared with 60 patients without gurgle. Patients with gurgle were older (78.5 vs 65.2 y; P P P P P Conclusions Gurgling sounds heard during quiet breathing or speech are independently associated with HAP.