Pneumonia Anastasios Skountzouris Anatomy 1B 2/3/12

Description Description Pneumonia is a breathing (respiratory) condition in which there is an infection of the lung It comes from the Greek word “Pneumonas” (πνεύμονας) which means lung.

Cause of the condition Bacteria and viruses living in your nose, sinuses, or mouth may spread to your lungs. You may breathe some of these germs directly into your lungs. You breathe in (inhale) food, liquids, vomit, or fluids from the mouth into your lungs (aspiration pneumonia)aspiration pneumonia

Symptoms Cough (with some pneumonias you may cough up greenish or yellow mucus, or even bloody mucus) Coughbloody mucus Fever, which may be mild or high Fever Shaking chills Shortness of breath (may only occur when you climb stairs) Shortness of breath

Therapy Therapy Your doctor must first decide whether you need to be in the hospital. If you are treated in the hospital, you will receive: Fluids and antibiotics in your veins Oxygen therapy Breathing treatments (possibly)

Medication Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial pneumonia. Other medications may help improve breathing and relieve symptoms in bacterial and viral pneumonia. Medication options include: Antibiotics. Antivirals. Your doctor may recommend antiviral medication for viral pneumonia. Antibiotics are not effective for treating viral pneumonia. Fever reducers. Cough medicine.

Complications Possible complications include: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) Acute respiratory distress syndrome Fluid around the lung (pleural effusion)pleural effusion Lung abscesses Respiratory failure (which requires a breathing machine or ventilator) Sepsis, which may lead to organ failure Sepsis

Progression of the Disease Community-acquired pneumonia is the most frequent type and may be primary or secondary to lung abnormality/disease; Walking Pneumonia is the least scary kind of pneumonia. That's because it's a mild pneumonia and does not generally require hospitalization Nosocomial pneumonia is defined as pneumonia contracted more than 48 hours after admission to hospital and is due to more virulent organisms; Aspiration pneumonia is commonly due to chemical damage and secondary infection by bacteria

Expectations With treatment, most patients will improve within 2 weeks. Elderly or very sick patients may need longer treatment.