Post-Stroke Aspiration Pneumonia — SCE Neurology MCQ

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HardNeurorehabilitationPost-Stroke Aspiration PneumoniaSCE Neurology

A 65-year-old woman admitted with acute stroke 3 days ago develops fever and right lower lobe consolidation. She has severe dysphagia and is NG-fed. What is the most likely cause?

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Correct answer: C — Aspiration pneumonia

The best answer is “Aspiration pneumonia”. UK stroke guidance supports urgent vascular imaging and reperfusion selection, short-course dual antiplatelet therapy for eligible minor stroke or high-risk TIA, decompression for life-threatening swelling, and secondary prevention matched to mechanism. The alternatives “Community-acquired pneumonia”, “Pulmonary embolism”, “UTI”, “Drug fever” are clinically adjacent possibilities, but they do not match the defining chronology, localisation, physiology, investigation result or UK management sequence in this stem.

Reference: National Clinical Guideline for Stroke: acute care: https://www.strokeguideline.org/chapter/acute-care/