PNEUMONIA
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by a bacterial,
viral, or fungal infection.
What Causes Pneumonia?
Many different organisms can cause pneumonia, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Bacterial pneumonias tend to be the most serious. In adults, bacteria are the most common cause, and of these Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most common.
Respiratory viruses are the most common causes of pneumonia in young children, peaking between the ages of 2 and 3. By school age, the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae becomes more common.
In some people, particularly the elderly and those who are
debilitated, pneumonia may follow influenza.
What are the Common Symptoms of Pneumonia?
- cough with mucus-like, greenish, or pus-like sputum
- chills with shaking
- fever
- easy fatigue
- chest pain
- sharp or stabbing
- increased by deep breathing
- increased by coughing
- headache
- loss of appetite
- nausea and vomiting
- general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
- joint stiffness (rare)
- muscular stiffness (rare)
How is Pneumonia Diagnosed?
Crackles are heard when listening to the chest with a stethoscope (auscultation). Other abnormal breathing sounds may also be heard.
Tests include:
- chest X-ray
- Gram's stain and culture of the sputum
- CBC
- arterial blood gases
This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:
- thoracic CT
- routine sputum culture
- pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan
- pleural fluid culture
- lung needle biopsy
How is Pneumonia Treated?
If the cause is bacterial, the goal of treatment is to cure the infection with antibiotics. However, if the pneumonia is caused by a virus, antibiotics will NOT be effective.
Supportive therapy includes oxygen and respiratory treatments to remove secretions, if needed.
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