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Editorial
. 2021 May 1;203(9):1049-1051.
doi: 10.1164/rccm.202011-4257ED.

On Bugs and Blowholes: Why Is Aspiration the Rule, Not the Exception?

Micheál Mac Aogáin  1   2 , Jennifer M Baker  3   4 , Robert P Dickson  3   4   5
Affiliations
Editorial

On Bugs and Blowholes: Why Is Aspiration the Rule, Not the Exception?

Micheál Mac Aogáin et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. .
No abstract available

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Why aren’t we built more like dolphins? Although nearly all mammals have a common “aerodigestive tract,” whales and dolphins have anatomically separate orifices for ventilation and digestion (i.e., blowholes and mouths). This occurred via the gradual posterior migration of the nasal cavity over tens of millions of years of evolution. For this reason, aspiration of pharyngeal and gastrointestinal contents is impossible in these species. For the rest of us, aspiration is a common and clinically significant problem. The current study by Wu and colleagues suggests a potential protective effect of subclinical aspiration on host susceptibility to pneumonia. Illustration by Jill Gregory.
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References

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