Pneumonia is a lower respiratory tract infection that affects lung tissue. In the United States alone, lower respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of death from infectious diseases. In mild cases, a medical examination followed by antibiotic therapy and rest is sufficient, while in moderate cases hospitalization is required so that intravenous administration of antibiotics is guaranteed. Even in severe cases, hospital treatment with intravenous antibiotics is required, but to these are added intubation and mechanical ventilation to promote proper breathing. Regardless of the severity, pneumonia is a very serious condition that must be treated and eradicated quickly.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Treatment
Step 1. Deal with a mild case
If it is a minor case, you can get outpatient care. If the patient is a child, he or she may be hospitalized if the doctor suspects that the situation is getting worse. The latter will prescribe antibiotic therapy and also suggest sleeping and resting as much as possible in order to improve the health condition as soon as possible. Even in milder cases, you should avoid going to school or work until your doctor indicates otherwise. Generally, complete healing takes 7-10 days.
- Some types of pneumonia are highly contagious, while others are transmitted only under optimal conditions. If you have been diagnosed with this disease, ask your doctor how infectious it is and how long you can consider it contagious.
- You will likely notice a significant improvement in symptoms within 48 hours of starting treatment. In other words, you should no longer have a fever and experience a general increase in strength.
- If you have been in contact with a patient with pneumonia, there is no need to pay special attention to personal cleanliness. The germs that cause this inflammation are not transmitted through objects for a long period of time and can be eliminated by washing normally.
Step 2. Deal with a moderate case
Moderate cases of pneumonia are those that impair respiratory function and require supplemental oxygen to keep blood saturation of this gas high. Patients with similar conditions also have fever and an unhealthy complexion. If pneumonia occurs with these symptoms, you will likely be hospitalized so that you can take intravenous antibiotics. The drugs do not change, but only the method of administration that conveys their assimilation by the body faster.
- You will be able to switch to oral antibiotics as your fever drops and you respond to therapy. Typically, this takes no more than 48 hours.
- Thereafter, once the severity has decreased, the treatment will be about the same as that prescribed for mild cases.
Step 3. Seek help if it is a serious case
Severe cases of pneumonia are those that involve respiratory failure and therefore require intubation and mechanical ventilation. The patient may also be admitted to intensive care.
- As in moderate cases, intravenous administration of antibiotics is required. Often patients may also need increased support with vasopressor drugs (which raise blood pressure) to counter the effects of septic shock.
- At the hospital, you will need supportive therapy to improve your overall health as the drugs work. Once you have recovered, you will need to follow the treatment for moderate cases and, as you improve, you will move on to that for mild cases. The length of hospitalization will depend on the severity of the damage caused to the lungs and the virulence of the pneumonia.
- Doctors may use bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) in certain patients to avoid intubation and traditional mechanical ventilation. BiPAP is a non-invasive method of delivering pressurized air and is often used to treat sleep apnea.
Step 4. Get the right antibiotics
There are various antibiotics that you can take in case of pneumonia. Your doctor will determine what type of pathogen caused the pneumonia and then determine the active ingredient you will need to take. For the most common forms of pneumonia, antibiotics such as azithromycin (zithromax) or doxycycline are combined with amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (augmentin), ampicillin, cefaclor or cefotaxime. The posology varies according to the age and severity of the case, as well as to any allergic reactions and the results of culture tests.
- For adults, the doctor may prescribe a single, less common but effective antibiotic therapy based on a quinolone for respiratory infections, such as levofloxacin or moxifloxacin. Quinolones are not suitable for children.
- In moderate and mild cases bordering on hospitalization, the doctor may prescribe an intravenous ampoule of Rocefin followed by oral therapy.
- In all of these cases, the doctor will evaluate the condition after a few days to see how the symptoms are progressing.
Step 5. Treat hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP)
Patients who contract pneumonia in hospital already have health problems. This situation involves different treatment than community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), although it can be used in rare and severe cases of CAP. HAP can be caused by different types of pathogens, so it is up to your doctor to diagnose which type of pneumonia you have and prescribe antibiotics based on the pathogen that has infected your lungs. The most common treatments are:
- For Klebsiella and E. coli, intravenous antibiotics, such as quinolones, ceftazidime and ceftriaxone;
- For Pseudomonas, intravenous antibiotics and imipenem, piperacillin or cefepime;
- For Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA (methicillin-resistant staph), intravenous antibiotics, such as vancomycin;
- For fungal forms of pneumonia, intravenous antibiotics, such as intravenous amphotericin B or Diflucan;
- For vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, intravenous antibiotics of ceftaroline.
Part 2 of 4: Prevention
Step 1. Get the flu shot
Pneumonia can be caused by an advanced stage of the flu. For this reason, annual influenza vaccination is recommended, as it helps to combat pneumonia, in addition to the flu,.
- The flu vaccine can be given to anyone over the age of six months;
- There is a special vaccine that can be taken by children under the age of two and also one for those between the ages of two and five who are at increased risk for pneumonia. Children who attend daycare should also get vaccinated.
- There is also a vaccine for patients who do not have a spleen, are over 65, have lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and suffer from sickle cell disease.
Step 2. Wash your hands often
If you want to avoid getting pneumonia, you need to avoid coming into contact with the viruses and germs that cause it. So, wash your hands properly. If you are in a public place or near a sick person, you should do this as much as possible. Also, do not put dirty hands near your face to avoid transmitting germs on your hands to your body. To wash your hands properly, you must:
- Turn on the tap and get your hands wet;
- Apply the soap and rub every part of the fingers: under the nails, on the back and between one finger and the other;
- Continue to rub your hands for at least 20 seconds, which is the time needed to sing "Happy Birthday" twice;
- Rinse to get rid of the soap. Make sure the water is hot to remove the foam and germs;
- Dry your hands with a clean towel.
Step 3. Take care of yourself
A great way to prevent pneumonia from occurring is to be in optimal physical condition. In other words, you have to keep fit psycho-physically. Try to train every day, eat a healthy and balanced diet, and get enough sleep. This lifestyle benefits your health, keeps the immune system active and, consequently, allows you to feel good.
Many people think they can sacrifice sleep and stay healthy. According to some studies, the well-being of the immune system is linked to the amount of hours we sleep each night. The more you sleep well without interruptions and in a sleep-friendly environment, the more efficient your immune defenses will be
Step 4. Try the vitamins and minerals
To increase the efficiency of the immune system, it is possible to take some supplements. One of the best for preventing pneumonia is vitamin C. Take 1000-2000 mg per day. You can get it from citrus fruits and their juice, broccoli, watermelon, melon, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Zinc is useful if you are concerned that a cold could turn into pneumonia. At the first sign of symptoms, take 150 mg of zinc three times a day
Step 5. Get vaccinated for pneumonia if you have a weak immune system
While the flu vaccine is useful for everyone, the one against pneumonia is only needed by some subjects. If you are a healthy adult between the ages of 18 and 64, you probably don't need to get vaccinated against pneumonia. However, consider this if you are over 65, have a condition that weakens your immune system, smoke a lot, abuse alcohol, or are recovering from a serious illness, injury, or surgery.
- The two types of pneumonia vaccine are: the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13 or Prevenar 13), which protects against 13 pneumococcal strains, and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), which protects against 23 pneumococcal serotypes.
- The pneumonia vaccine does not guarantee a complete defense against this disease, but it drastically lowers the risk. If you contract it despite being vaccinated, it will most likely manifest itself in a mild form.
Part 3 of 4: Learn about Community Acquired Pneumonia
Step 1. Find out about the various types
Pneumonia is divided into two broad categories, which have different etiologies and provide different treatments: community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP). They will be analyzed in more detail later. CAP is caused by typical bacteria, atypical bacteria, and respiratory viruses.
CAP is pneumonia that most people get. It is more dangerous in the elderly, very young, and in those with compromised immune systems, such as from diabetes, HIV, chemotherapy, and steroid medication. CAP can vary between mild cases treated at home and cases with acute respiratory failure up to death
Step 2. Recognize the symptoms of pneumonia
They can range from mild to severe, depending on the germ causing the pneumonia and the severity of the infection. If you notice any of the following symptoms, see your doctor right away. If you wait, conditions could worsen. Symptoms of CAP include:
- Productive cough;
- Thick mucus, which may be green, yellowish, or red
- Severe chest pain when you breathe deeply
- Fever above 38 ° C, but often between 38, 3 and 39 ° C;
- Chills or involuntary tremors
- Breathing difficulties, which can be mild or severe
- Rapid breathing, more common in children
- Drop in normal blood oxygen saturation values.
Step 3. Find out if you have the CAP
When your doctor sees you, they will check for any common symptoms. In addition, he will also prescribe a chest X-ray to understand to what extent the lungs are affected. If you notice a patch of white gaps on a lobe of your lung that should normally be black, you probably have pneumonia. This could be a parapneumonic effusion, which is a collection of fluids, adjacent to the area of infection.
Blood tests are not needed in mild cases. However, if they are more severe, the doctor may order laboratory tests, such as a complete blood count, basic metabolic panel, and culture of a mucus sample
Step 4. See your doctor immediately
In some circumstances, it is necessary to seek immediate medical assistance. Even if you've been undergoing treatment, don't hesitate to see your doctor if your symptoms get worse. Go to him or go to the emergency room as soon as possible if:
- Confuse times, people or places;
- Nausea and vomiting prevent you from taking oral antibiotics;
- Blood pressure drops;
- Breathing is accelerated;
- You need assistance in breathing;
- Body temperature is above 39 ° C;
- The body temperature drops considerably.
Part 4 of 4: Learn about Hospital Acquired Pneumonia
Step 1. Learn about hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP)
HAP occurs in hospitalized patients. In fact, the English acronym stands for "hospital-acquired pneumonia". Generally, it is very severe and is accompanied by a high mortality rate. It includes up to 2% of all re-hospitalizations. It can be contracted by all patients, from those who have undergone surgery to those who have suffered a fracture, to those suffering from severe infections. Hospital-acquired pneumonia can cause sepsis, multiple organ failure, and even death.
The symptoms remain unchanged, since they are two types of the same disease
Step 2. Recognize the risks
Community-acquired pneumonia spreads through the transmission of common pathogens, while hospital-acquired pneumonia develops following a nosocomial infection. Depending on their health conditions, some patients are more at risk than others, although everyone can contract it. Risk factors include:
- Intensive care;
- Mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours;
- Hospital stay or intensive care for an extended period;
- Serious health problems upon admission;
- Heart failure, renal failure, liver failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes.
Step 3. Find out about the causes
Hospital-acquired pneumonia can occur as a result of a complication after surgery, such as lung collapse or an inability to breathe deeply due to pain. It can also occur due to poor hygiene on the part of medical personnel, especially during care provided to patients who are catheterized, attached to the respirator and subject to replacement of the breathing tube.
Step 4. Avoid hospital-acquired pneumonia
Contagion can be warded off when healthcare workers comply with hygiene rules, there is meticulous care of the respirator and the incentive spirometer is used after surgery (a device that promotes deep breathing in operated patients). Furthermore, it can be avoided if the patient gets out of bed quickly after the operation and if any intubation does not last long.
