Pneumonia
By: Jaden Christenbury
Description
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus, causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia.
Diagnosis
A pneumonia diagnosis usually begins with a physical exam and a discussion about your symptoms and medical history. A doctor may suspect pneumonia if they hear coarse breathing, wheezing, crackling sounds, or rumblings when listening to the chest through a stethoscope.
Chest x-rays and blood tests may be ordered to confirm a pneumonia diagnosis. A chest x-ray can confirm pneumonia and determine its location and extent in the lungs. Blood tests measure white blood cell count to determine the severity of pneumonia and can be used to determine whether the infection is bacterial, viral, fungal, etc. An analysis of sputum also can be used to determine the organism that is causing the pneumonia.
A more invasive diagnostic tool is the bronchoscopy - a procedure whereby the patient is under anesthesia and a thin, flexible, and lighted tube is inserted into the nose or mouth to directly examine the infected parts of the lung.
Chest x-rays and blood tests may be ordered to confirm a pneumonia diagnosis. A chest x-ray can confirm pneumonia and determine its location and extent in the lungs. Blood tests measure white blood cell count to determine the severity of pneumonia and can be used to determine whether the infection is bacterial, viral, fungal, etc. An analysis of sputum also can be used to determine the organism that is causing the pneumonia.
A more invasive diagnostic tool is the bronchoscopy - a procedure whereby the patient is under anesthesia and a thin, flexible, and lighted tube is inserted into the nose or mouth to directly examine the infected parts of the lung.
Relative Frequency
Recurrent pneumonia occurs in fewer than one tenth of all children hospitalized with pneumonia.
Recurrent pneumonia has been defined as at least 2 pneumonia episodes in 1 year or more than 3 at any time, with radiographic clearing between episodes.
Disease Course
When the germs that cause pneumonia reach your lungs, the lungs' air sacs become inflamed and fill up with fluid and pus. This causes the symptoms of pneumonia, such as a cough, fever, chills, and trouble breathing.
When you have pneumonia, oxygen has trouble reaching your blood. If there is too little oxygen in your blood, your body cells can't work properly. Because of this and infection spreading through the body.Complications
Potential complications include pleural effusion (fluid around the lung), pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane lining the lungs and chest cavity), a lung abscess (collection of pus), and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
Target Audience
Some people are more likely than others to develop pneumonia. Individuals at a higher risk include those who:
- Smoke
- Abuse alcohol
- Have other medical conditions, such as COPD, emphysema, asthma, or HIV/AIDS
- Are younger than 1 or older than 65
- Have a weakened immune system
- Have recently recovered from a cold or influenza infection
- Are malnourished
- Have been recently hospitalized in an intensive care unit
- Have been exposed to certain chemicals or pollutants
- Are Native Alaskan or certain Native American ethnicity