PNEUMONIA
 Pneumonia is a disease of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung accountable for taking in oxygen from the environment) become swollen and inundated with fluid.
Pneumonia can result from a range of causes, including infection with viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Pneumonia may also crop up from chemical or physical injury to the lungs, or indirectly due to a different medical disease, such as alcohol abuse or lung cancer.
Characteristic symptoms related to pneumonia include cough, fever, chest pain, and problem with breathing. Tools in diagnosing pneumonia include x-rays and examination of the sputum. Treatment relies upon the cause of pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia, for example is treated with antibiotics.
Pneumonia is a common sickness, arises in all age groups, and is a top cause of death among the elderly and people who are persistently ill. Vaccines to put off specific types of pneumonia are accessible. The diagnosis for an individual rests on the kind of pneumonia, the proper treatment, any complications, and the person's health.
CAUSES
Pneumonia is caused by a lot of factors. Though, bacteria are the most common causes of pneumonia.
The most common bacterium that sets off pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumonia--20% to 60% community-acquired pneumonias in adults and 13% to 38% in children.
Staphylococcus aureus explains for 10% to 15% of hospital-acquired pneumonias. It is most frequently linked with viral influenza and patients with a dwindling immune system. Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus) can also cause pneumonia.
Atypical pneumonias, such as Walking Pneumonia, are caused by bacterial organisms and come with mild symptoms such as a dry cough. They usually do not call for hospital care.
Viral Causes of Pneumonia:
- Influenza
- Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (SARS)
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
- Adenoviruses
- Human Parainfluenza Virus (HPV)
- Herpesviruses
DIAGNOSIS & SYMPTOMS
Symptoms are determined by the type of pneumonia and the individual.
With bacterial pneumonia, the person may suffer:
- shaking
- chattering teeth
- chills
- cough that makes rust-colored or greenish mucus
- acute chest pain
- sweating
- very high fever
- rapid pulse rate
- rapid breathing
With viral pneumonia, the person may suffer:
- fever
- muscle pain and weakness
- dry cough
- headache
These flu-like symptoms could be followed within one or two days by:
- mounting breathlessness
- bluish color to the lips
- higher fever
- dry cough becoming worse and producing a small amount of mucus
In spite of of the kind of pneumonia, the person may also go through the following symptoms:
- a loss of appetite
- clammy skin
- feeling ill
- nasal flaring
- mental confusion
- fatigue
- joint and muscle stiffness
- abdominal pain
- anxiety, tension and stress
TEST & TREATMENT
Treatment rests on the seriousness of symptoms and the kind of organism causing the infection.
I. For bacterial pneumonia (caused by the streptococcus pneumonia bacteria):
- penicillin
- erythromycin.
- ampicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin)
For bacterial pneumonia (caused by the hemophilus influenza bacteria):
- cefuroxime (Ceftin)
- ofloxacin (Floxin)
- ampicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin)
- trimethoprim-sulfanethoxazole (Bactrim and Septra)
Bacterial pneumonia (caused by legionella pneumophilia and staphylococcus aureus bacteria) are cured with antibiotics, such as erythromycin.
II. Viral pneumonia does not react to antibiotic treatment. This type of pneumonia typically settles over time. If the lungs become contaminated with a secondary bacterial infection, the physician will give a suitable antibiotic to eradicate the bacterial infection.
III. Mycoplasma pneumonia is frequently treated with antibiotics, such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin, tetracycline or azithromycin (Zithromax).
COMPLICATIONS
Bacteria in the bloodstream.
Pneumonia can turn fatal when inflammation from the disease fills up the air sacs in the lungs and impedes with the capacity to breathe. In several cases the infection may attack the bloodstream (bacteremia). It can then extend rapidly to other organs.
Lung abscess.
A cavity holding pus (abscess) that develops within the area distressed by pneumonia is one more possible complication. Abscesses frequently are treated with antibiotics, but in unusual cases they may need to be eliminated surgically.
Fluid buildup and infection around the lungs.
At times fluid builds up between the thin, clear membrane (pleura) enveloping the lungs and the membrane that coats the inner surface of the chest wall—a state known as pleural effusion.
PREVENTION
- Get a pneumonococcal vaccine. Those who stand to gain most from vaccination are people over the age 65; anyone with persistent health problems (heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, etc.); anyone who has had their spleen taken out; anyone staying in a nursing home or chronic care facility; healthcare workers or family caregivers; children with persistent respiratory diseases (such as asthma), and anyone who has had pneumonia in the past (because of the increased risk of reinfection). The pneumonococcal vaccine is 90 percent helpful against the bacteria and defends against infection for five to ten years.
- Follow good hygiene.
- Get an influenza shot every fall.
- Apply good preventive measures by eating a proper diet, getting regular exercise and lots of sleep.
- Do not smoke.
INCIDENCE AND STATISTICS
(Data are for U.S.)
Mortality
Number of deaths: 64,954 (2002)
Deaths per 100,000 population: 22.5 (2002)
Percent of hospital inpatient deaths from pneumonia: 8.1 (2000)
Health Care
Number of discharges: 1.3 million (2002)
Average length of stay: 5.7 days (2002)
Home health care
Number of current patients with pneumonia as primary diagnosis: 20,300 (2000)
Percent of current patients with pneumonia as primary diagnosis: 1.5 (2000)
Survey
Nursing home care:
Number of residents with pneumonia: 46,000 (1999)
Percent of residents with pneumonia: 2.5 (1999)
Average length of stay for discharges with pneumonia as primary diagnosis: 124 days (1999 |
