Pneumonia

What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung caused by variety of microorganisms such as infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and other organisms. Pneumonia is usually triggered when a patient's defense system is weakened, most often by a simple viral upper respiratory tract infection. Such infections or other triggers do not cause pneumonia directly but they alter the mucous blanket, thus encouraging bacterial growth.

Now, to know what the above paragraph means you have to know something about lungs and what they do. When you breathe in, you pull oxygen into your lungs. That oxygen travels through breathing tubes and finally gets into your blood through the alveoli. When oxygen-rich air reaches the alveoli, it can be absorbed into the blood. Then your red blood cells can carry oxygen all over your body.

But if a person has pneumonia, his or her lungs can't do this important job very well. Because this kind of infection creates fluid that blocks the alveoli. This makes it hard for oxygen to get deep into the lungs, where it can be passed through to the blood.

What are the causes of Pneumonia?

Bacteria are the most common causes of pneumonia, but these infections can also be caused by other microbial organisms. It is often impossible to identify the specific culprit.

The most common cause of pneumonia is the gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called S. pneumoniae or pneumococcal pneumonia ).

Staphylococcus aureus , the other major gram-positive bacterium responsible for pneumonia,
The most common gram-negative species causing pneumonia is Haemophilus influenzae (generally occurring in patients with chronic lung disease, older patients, and alcoholics).
Klebsiella pneumoniae may be responsible for pneumonia in alcoholics and in other people who are physically debilitated.
Other gram-negative bacteria that cause pneumonia include E. coli (a cause in newborns), Proteus (found in several damaged lung tissue), and Enterobacter.

What are the symptoms of Pneumonia?

Symptoms of pneumonia vary, depending on the age of the child and the cause of the pneumonia. Some common symptoms include:

The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia develop abruptly and may include chest pain, fever, shaking, chills, shortness of breath, rapid breathing and heart beat and vomiting.
Symptoms of pneumonia indicating a medical emergency include low blood pressure, bluish-skin, nails and lips and mental confusion.
Coughing up sputum containing pus or blood is an indication of serious infection.
Severe abdominal pain may accompany pneumonia occurring in the lower lobes of the lung.

What is the treatment done for Pneumonia?

People with pneumonia who are having trouble breathing, people with other medical problems, and the elderly may need more advanced treatment.

Pneumonia can be treated with oral antibiotics given to the patient at home. The type of antibiotic used depends on the type of pneumonia.

Patients may be hospitalized for treatment if they have pneumonia caused by pertussis or other bacterial pneumonia that causes high fevers and respiratory distress. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial pneumonia. They sometimes are used to treat or prevent bacterial infections that can occur in lungs damaged by a viral pneumonia.

Treatment for pneumonia should ideally be based on the causative microorganism and its known antibiotic sensitivity.