How community-acquired pneumonia differs from hospital pneumonia and how they are treated

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Inflammation of the lungs is very dangerous. Therefore, it is important to seek help on time.

What is pneumonia and why is it so often talked about community-acquired

Pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory disease of the lungs. The lungs are made up of alveoli - small air chambers that fill with air when inhaled and from which oxygen enters the blood. Through them, the blood gets rid of carbon dioxide. When inflammation occurs, the alveoli fill with fluid or pus. There is no room for air in them, which means that a sick person cannot breathe fully.

Inflammation does not necessarily damage the entire organ. Individual foci, segments, lobes of one (unilateral) or both (bilateral pneumonia) lungs may suffer. In extreme cases, the lung tissue is completely affected - then they say that the pneumonia has become total.

There are other classifications as well. For example, depending on the place where the person contracted pneumonia. This is important and here's why.

Community-acquired pneumonia is any pneumonia that occurs outside the hospital or less than 48 hours later. Hospital-acquired pneumonia after a person is admitted to the hospital. Everything else is referred to as hospital (hospital) pneumonia.

The difference between them is in the degree of danger of the pathogen. In a hospital setting How are different types of pneumonia classified? the lungs are attacked by nosocomial bacteria, often resistant to antibiotics. To treat such pneumonia is more difficult and longer than that caused, for example, by the flu virus that has descended into the lungs.

Why does pneumonia occur?

Pneumonia can be caused by many different causes. Overview of Pneumonia. The severity of the disease and the method of Pneumonia treatment largely depend on which factor caused the pneumonia.

Viral pneumonia

It is this type of pneumonia that most often occurs in Pediatric Pneumonia in children under 5 years of age.

The causative agents are influenza viruses, herpes viruses, adenoviruses (causing colds) or, for example, coronaviruses - the same SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2. Whatever virus causes pneumonia, the signs of pneumonia will be the same.

Bacterial pneumonia

There are many bacteria that can attack the lungs. For example, pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) or staphylococci.

Bacterial pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia in adults with Pneumonia Symptoms and Diagnosis.

Usually, bacterial pneumonia occurs when the body is weakened for some reason: after an illness (the same ARVI), surgery, due to poor nutrition, age, bad habits (these include smoking and alcohol abuse) or immune disorders.

Mycoplasma pneumonia

Mycoplasmas are bacteria without cell walls. They usually cause pneumonia with lungs Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections. Fast Facts, almost imperceptible cold-like symptoms.

Unofficial Do not miss the first signs of pneumonia. The name of this type of pneumonia is "walking pneumonia": the disease is often carried on the legs, without even thinking about the need for bed rest.

Fungal pneumonia

Such a Pneumonia. What Causes of Pneumonia pneumonia is most common in people with chronic illnesses or severely weakened (such as HIV) immune systems, or in those who regularly inhale certain fungal spores from contaminated soil or bird droppings.

Aspiration pneumonia

It occurs when foreign substances accidentally enter the lungs - food, drink, vomiting, saliva. Most often this happens to people who have something (for example, brain damage, alcohol or drug intoxication) disrupts the normal functioning of the gag or cough reflex.

How to recognize pneumonia

Pneumonia Symptoms and Diagnosis pneumonia, including those caused by SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2, does not always show itself as vivid symptoms. The disease may look like a common acute respiratory viral infection or be noticeable in general only on computed tomography (CT).

However, there are some signs by which you can still suspect pneumonia and seek help in time.

When to call an ambulance

Dial 103 or 112 urgently if the following symptoms are added to the symptoms of ARVI: Severe community-acquired pneumonia.

• Breathing increased to 30 or more breaths per minute (one breath every 2 seconds or more).
• Systolic (upper) pressure dropped below 90 mm Hg. Art., and diastolic (lower) - below 60 mm Hg. Art.
• Confusion appeared: lethargy, sluggish reaction to the environment, inability to answer simple questions.
• Foreign matter may have entered the lungs.

Even one or two of the listed signs can indicate severe pneumonia, and it is deadly. The more symptoms, the higher the risks.

When to see a doctor

Often, pneumonia develops as a complication after a newly suffered acute respiratory viral infection. But this is not a prerequisite. In any case, consult a therapist as soon as possible if you observe the following symptoms:

• The malaise almost disappeared, but then reappeared.
• The same thing happened with the cough. Or it didn't go away, but you started coughing harder and more often.
• When coughing, sputum is produced that is yellow, yellow-brown, greenish, or streaked with blood.
• Against this background, the temperature has risen to 39–40 ° С and is very poorly lost.
• Chills and severe sweating appeared.
• When trying to take a deep breath or just breathing, there is a stabbing pain in the chest.
• The skin turned pale.
• Shortness of breath is easy. You have to breathe more often, even if you are in bed.
• You feel incredibly weak.

You don't have to look for all the symptoms at the same time. Two or three is enough to suggest pneumonia and be sure to call a doctor.

How the doctor will confirm the diagnosis

In some cases, a therapist will be able to diagnose pneumonia based on your recent medical history (for example, if you have just had the flu or have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19) with severe symptoms. But additional research on Pneumonia may be required, for example:

• Pulse oximetry. A special sensor will be attached to the finger, which will measure the level of blood oxygen saturation. In normal Hypoxemia, it is 95-100%. Oxygen saturations less than 92% are associated with major adverse events in outpatients with pneumonia: a population-based cohort study 92% is an indication for urgent hospitalization.
• X-ray. This study will help you see the damage to the lungs.
• CT scan of the chest. Computed tomography allows you to see the lungs in more detail than X-rays.
• Blood test. It will confirm the inflammatory process and, possibly, identify the causative agent of the disease.
• Analysis of sputum that is released when coughing. This test helps identify an infection in the lungs.
• Analysis of urine. It helps to quickly identify community-acquired pneumonia antibodies to some bacteria that can cause inflammation.

Where is pneumonia treated?

The doctor makes a decision about this based on the symptoms listed above, test results and risk factors (age and the presence of concomitant diseases or pregnancy).

If pneumonia is mild, that is, the person feels well, is in a clear consciousness, he does not have severe shortness of breath, it can be treated at home. Of course, a person should be observed by a therapist, follow his recommendations and take all medications prescribed by the doctor. Most of these patients recover within two weeks. However, for some, the symptoms of pneumonia last for 3-4 weeks, and later chronic forms of bronchitis or pneumonia may develop.

With moderate and severe pneumonia, hospitalization is indicated. Especially for those who are in one of the risk groups:

• people over 65;
• those who have concomitant serious diseases (for example, cardiovascular, diabetes, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
• pregnant women.

A hospital is needed because the patient's condition can rapidly deteriorate at any time. It is important that specialists are near him. In addition, patients in serious condition require specific supportive therapy, which is available only in intensive care.

How is pneumonia treated

Under the supervision of a physician. When choosing a therapy, he will focus on the causes of the disease and its severity.

So, there is no cure for viral pneumonia. It is treated by Viral pneumonia as a common ARVI - by drinking plenty of water, rest (up to bed rest), healthy diet, taking expectorant and over-the-counter antipyretics, for example, based on paracetamol. Sometimes antiviral drugs can be prescribed: in some cases, they reduce the duration and severity of symptoms of community-acquired pneumonia.

With fungal pneumonia, antifungal drugs are prescribed. For bacterial and other types of pneumonia, in which a bacterial complication joins the original pneumonia, antibiotics will be needed: these drugs will destroy the microbes that caused pneumonia or led to complications. Antibiotics are selected individually depending on the type of bacteria. An unsuitable drug will only worsen a person's condition, the disease will become more dangerous.

In parallel, doctors are trying to alleviate the patient's condition with symptomatic treatment.

If the lungs are so badly affected that the sick person cannot breathe, supportive therapy is carried out: the patient is connected to artificial ventilation of the lungs and a number of additional drugs are prescribed to help the body.

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