Pneumonia is an infection that can range from mild to severe that inflames lungs' air sacs (alveoli). The air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus That can make it hard to breathe in enough oxygen to reach bloodstream, causing symptoms such as a cough, fever, chills and trouble breathing.
Anyone can get this lung infection. But infants younger than age 2 and people over age 65 are at higher risk. That’s because their immune systems might not be strong enough to fight it.
patient can get pneumonia in one or both lungs and also have it and not know it. physican call this walking pneumonia. Causes include bacteria, viruses, and fungi. viral and bacterial pneumonia are contagious. This means they can spread from person to person through inhalation of airborne droplets from a sneeze or cough
Lifestyle habits, like smoking cigarettes and drinking too much alcohol, can also raise your chances of getting pneumonia.
Symptoms of Pneumonia-
The signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include-
• mild fever
• cough lasting longer than a week(greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus)
• chills
• shortness of breath
• chest pain (Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when breathe deeply or cough)
• reduced appetite
• Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting, especially in small children
• Confusion, especially in older people
Pneumonia Diagnosis-
Sometimes pneumonia can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are so variable, and are often very similar to those seen in a cold or influenza. To diagnose pneumonia, and to try to identify the germ that is causing the illness, physican will ask questions about patients medical history, do a physical exam, and run some tests.
Medical history
Physical exam-
in pneumonia, patients lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when patient inhale.
Diagnostic Tests
If physican suspects patient may have pneumonia, they will probably recommend some tests to confirm the diagnosis These may include-
• Blood tests- to confirm the infection and to try to identify the germ that is causing patients illness.
• Chest X-ray - for the location and extent of inflammation in lungs.
• Pleural fluid culture- which removes a small amount of fluid from around tissues that surround the lung, to analyze and identify bacteria causing the pneumonia.
• Pulse oximetry -to measure the oxygen level in blood.
• Sputum test- on a sample of sputum taken after a deep cough, to look for the source of the infection.
some additional tests-for high risk patient, including-
• CT scan -CT scan of the chest to get a better view of the lungs and look for abscesses or other complications.
• Arterial blood gas test- to measure the amount of oxygen in a blood sample taken from an artery, usually in patient wrist. This is more accurate than the pulse oximetry.
• Bronchoscopy
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