In Poland, several hundred thousand people annually fall on annual viral and bacterial pneumonia. These two forms of the disease differ from each other in clinical course and treatment.
Microbes that cause pneumonia
The most common infection that causes pneumonia is a micrococcal infection with Streptococcus pneumonice. Then, the frequency of inflammation caused by Haemophilus influenzae (a bacterium that causes hapless meningitis and the brain and septicemia in children) and Staphylococcus aureus are noted. In about 5-20% of cases, the cause of pneumonia are viruses. *
BACTERIAL PNEUMONITIS The primary risk factor is recurrent bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. In addition, a number of favorable circumstances contribute to the disease. Of course, it happens that people who are still healthy, not burdened with risk factors, also get sick.
Crisk factors, i.e.colic favoring the disease:
- old age
- immature immune system in young children
- popular diseases that initiate bacterial pneumonia
- diseases of the immune system - congenital and acquired;
- immunosuppressive treatment (transplants), oncological radiotherapy, etc.
- smoking tobacco
- unhygienic lifestyle (lack of sleep, tiredness, lack of adjustment of weatherwear, abuse
- unhealthy eating, alcohol abuse, etc.
- atherosclerosis and circulatory insufficiency
- diabetes and heart failure
- diseases of the central nervous system
Common diseases initiating bacterial pneumonia
These are: chronic lung diseases, especially chronic bronchitis of cigarette smokers - chronic lung disease, sinusitis, all conditions of bronchoconstriction most often in the course of cancer or pulmonary tuberculosis. Inflammation of the lungs can often be a complication of the previous viral infection, especially influenza, measles or chickenpox.
Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia.
Characteristic symptoms of pneumonia are: fever, coughing with heavy sputum, increasing dyspnea and chest pain. If you suspect inflammation, you should always have a chest X-ray and sputum examination to confirm it.
Treatment of bacterial pneumonia
Patients with confirmed pneumonia should be referred to a hospital for antibiotic therapy, dependent on bacterial causes (etiology) and bacterial susceptibility, and to avoid possible complications.
VIRAL PNEUMONITIS
The essence of a viral infection
Viral infections are very often the cause of the upper respiratory tract, that is nasopharynx, larynx and trachea, but they can also cause direct involvement of the lung tissue or pave the way for bacterial pneumonia.
1st phase of viral infection
Viral pneumonia is most common during periods of influenza epidemics, in late autumn and winter. The two-phase course of the disease is very characteristic. In the first, acute phase, there is a large increase in body temperature and symptoms of general breakdown: malaise, weakness, headaches and muscle and joint pain.
2nd phase of viral infection
In the second phase, when the lung tissue becomes involved, a dry cough, shortness of breath and chest pains arise. Confirmation of the diagnosis is based on radiological and serological tests (testing the level of antibodies against viral antigens).
Treatment of viral pneumonia
If there is viral pneumonia, there is no effective causative treatment.It is not advisable to administer antibiotics, except for possible complications with an additional bacterial infection. Certain healing effects in the case of pneumonia have antiviral drugs, as well as drugs that stimulate the immune system, but they are difficult to access on the Polish market.
Danger to life
Pneumonia is a life-threatening disease, no matter what the cause of it is. About 10,000 people die annually, mainly elderly people, as well as immunocompromised. Therefore, do not underestimate any cough or chest pain, especially if they appear during upper respiratory tract infections.
Prevention of viral pneumonia
The prevention of influenza infections by the use of vaccines - for example, anti-influenza drugs, whose efficacy reaches 75-90 percent, is of the greatest importance in the prevention of viral pneumonia. They are prepared every year, and their composition depends on threatening infections. In the case of influenza, the most important is isolation of the patient in the home for a period of 7-10 days, avoiding physical efforts and implementation of symptomatic treatment: antipyretic and optionally administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Careful treatment of bronchitis, which may be complicated by pneumonia, is very important.
Influenza vaccination
Treatment of influenza
Bronchitis in children
Red (eom)
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* Infections of the lower respiratory tract dr n. Med. Katarzyna Szmygin-Milanowska, prof. dr hab. n. med. Janusz Limanowski from the Department and Clinic of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis at the Medical Academy in Lublin; Family Medicine - notebook 17 (1/2002)
