Pneumonia
facts
- Pneumonia is a lung infection that
can be caused by different types of microorganisms, including bacteria,
viruses, and fungi.
- Symptoms of pneumonia include
cough with sputum production, fever,
and sharp chest pain on inspiration
(breathing in).
- Pneumonia is suspected when a
doctor hears abnormal sounds in the chest, and the diagnosis is confirmed
by a chest X-ray.
- Bacteria causing pneumonia can be
identified by sputum culture.
- A pleural
effusion is a fluid collection around the inflamed lung.
- Bacterial and fungal (but not
viral) pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics.
Pneumonia is an infection of one or
both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Prior to the
discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia
subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop
pneumonia each year in the United States. Over a half a million of these people
are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people
recover, approximately 5% will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth
leading cause of death in the United States.
Some cases of pneumonia are contracted
by breathing in small droplets that contain the organisms that can cause
pneumonia. These droplets get into the air when a person infected with these
germs coughs or sneezes. In other cases,
pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in the
mouth, throat, or nose inadvertently enter the lung. During sleep, it is quite common for people to aspirate
secretions from the mouth, throat, or nose. Normally, the body's reflex
response (coughing back up the secretions) and their immune system will prevent
the aspirated organisms from causing pneumonia. However, if a person is in a
weakened condition from another illness, a severe pneumonia can develop. People
with recent viral infections, lung disease, heart
disease, and swallowing problems,
as well as alcoholics, drug users, and those who have suffered a stroke or seizure
are at higher risk for developing pneumonia than the general population. As we
age, our swallowing mechanism can become impaired as does our immune system.
These factors, along with some of the negative side effects of medications,
increase the risk for pneumonia in the elderly.
Once organisms enter the lungs, they
usually settle in the air sacs and passages of the lung where they rapidly grow
in number. This area of the lung then becomes filled with fluid and pus (the
body's inflammatory cells) as the body attempts to fight off the infection.
Most people who develop pneumonia
initially have symptoms of a cold (upper
respiratory infection, for example, sneezing, sore throat, cough), which are then followed by a
high fever (sometimes as high as 104 F),
shaking chills, and a cough with sputum
production. The sputum is usually discolored and sometimes bloody. Depending on
the location of the infection, certain symptoms are more likely to develop.
When the infection settles in the air passages, cough and sputum tend to
predominate the symptoms. In some, the spongy tissue of the lungs that contain
the air sacs is more involved. In this case, oxygenation of the blood can be
impaired, along with stiffening of the lung, which results in shortness of breath. At times, the individual's
skin color may change and become dusky or purplish (a condition known as "cyanosis") due to their blood being poorly
oxygenated.
The only pain fibers in the lung are on
the surface of the lung, in the area known as the pleura. Chest pain may
develop if the outer aspects of the lung close to the pleura are involved in
the infection. This pain is usually sharp and worsens when taking a deep breath
and is known as pleuritic pain or pleurisy.
In other cases of pneumonia, depending on the causative organism, there can be
a slow onset of symptoms. A worsening cough, headaches, and muscle aches may be
the only symptoms.
Children and babies who develop pneumonia
often do not have any specific signs of a chest infection but develop a fever,
appear quite ill, and can become lethargic. Elderly people may also have few
symptoms with pneumonia.
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