PNEUMONIA:

Pneumonia is a condition that affects our respiratory system and every year many people get affected by this disease worldwide.   

It is defined as an infectious disease that affects the parenchyma of the lungs. 

RISK FACTORS FOR PNEUMONIA:

1) AGE GROUP: Young children and old age people are at more risk of developing pneumonia.

2) SMOKING: It is known that direct smoking and passive smoking both are harmful to the lungs and slowly they affect the lungs by decreasing the activity of macrophages in the lungs and also damaging the ciliary movement that leads to the accumulation of secretion which exposes the lungs to various infections and diseases.

3) ALCOHOL: It has been considered for a long time that alcohol affects our liver mostly but what we don’t know is that alcoholic people are more prone to pneumonia than nonalcoholic. If alcohol is taken by the person for a long time then alcohol produces many negative effects such as alcohol decreases the production of macrophages which are responsible for the removal of harmful microorganism from our body including lungs but due to a decrease in macrophages microbes accumulate in the lungs and can lead to recurrent infections and pneumonia.

4) DISEASES: some medical conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis of the lung, and immunosuppressive diseases like AIDS can lead to pneumonia. 

5) MALNUTRITION: A person who doesn’t eat a properly balanced diet with all necessary vitamins and minerals has a higher chance of suffering from pneumonia as the person’s immune system will be weak to fight against microbes causing various diseases.              

6) OTHER CAUSES: Aspiration of vomit (vomit getting in the respiratory system), prolonged treatment of disease with steroids, the radiological treatment used in some cancerous conditions.  

CAUSATIVE ORGANISM OF PNEUMONIA:

Pneumonia is known to be caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections.

Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydia pneumoniae, influenza virus, and parainfluenza viruses are some of the organisms known to cause pneumonia.                         

CLASSIFICATION OF PNEUMONIA :

1) COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA: It is defined as pneumonia that occurs due to the transmission of infection from one person to another in the community.

2) HOSPITAL ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA: It occurs due to the transmission of infection to a person from the hospital setting like a patient who is on a ventilator life support for a long time.

3) IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PERSON: A person with a weak immune system is more susceptible to microbial infection including pneumonia as the immune system does not attack the microbes causing the infection and it gets difficult to control the infection.

PATHOGENESIS :

In people with normal lung function which has good ciliary function and macrophages are present in an adequate amount, whenever a microbe enters the respiratory system and reaches alveoli then the macrophages engulf the microbes inactivate them, and remove them from the body to protect us from severe disease. 

If cilia and macrophages are not working properly then these microbes will accumulate in the alveoli and cause a capillary leak which will lead to the accumulation of fluid in the alveoli and interfere with oxygen transport which will lead to difficulty in breathing, bronchospasm, and other serious condition even death if not treated properly.

PATHOLOGY:

When a person gets infected from the microbes that can lead to pneumonia then the lungs undergo various pathological changes. 

These changes are divided into four stages :

FIRST STAGE: In this stage, the lungs get edematous which slowly keeps increasing and due to this the infection in the lungs starts aggravating.

SECOND STAGE: This stage is known as RED HEPATIZATION PHASE because of the presence of erythrocyte in the alveolar region of the lung which gives the lungs red color and also the lungs look like the liver and that is why it is called RED HEPATIZATION STAGE.

THIRD STAGE: In this stage, a new erythrocyte doesn’t enter the alveoli of the lungs, and those erythrocytes which are present already start dying and this changes the color of the lungs from red to grey. Because of this, the lungs in this stage are known as GREY HEPATIZATION STAGE.

FOURTH STAGE: This stage is known as the resolution stage as macrophages start clearing the alveoli of the lungs and make the lungs function normally. 

CLINICAL FEATURES :

 

1) Fever can be associated with chills or sweating.

2) Bodyache and headache can be present. 

3) Cough can be dry cough or cough with productive sputum type.

4) Patients can complain of difficulty in breathing in serious cases.

5) If the outer lining of the lungs is infected then it can cause chest pain. 

6) Nausea and vomiting can occur.

7) Increase in the breathing rate of the person suffering from pneumonia. 

8) The use of accessory muscles for respiration is seen in people with difficulty in breathing which can be seen in people suffering from pneumonia.

9) When the doctor does a physical examination then on percussion if the doctor hears the dull sound it shows that pleural fluid is present which can be due to pneumonia. 

10) On auscultation, the doctor can hear a crackling sound, a bronchial breath sound. 

INVESTIGATION:

1) Blood investigation: A complete blood count is done to check for any blood changes that can point to infection such as changes in white blood cell counts. 

2) A blood culture can be done to check for the infective organism. 

3) A sputum culture can also be done to check for causative organisms. 

4) A chest x-ray should be done to check for cavity formation in the lobes of the lungs and also check for any signs of pleural effusion. 

5) A CT Scan can be done too. 

6) PCR TEST – Polymerase chain reaction can be done too. 

TREATMENT:

1) Patient is admitted to the hospital and vitals like blood pressure, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation. 

2) Maintain proper hydration of the patient.

3) The proper antibiotic cover should be given to prevent the spread of infection.

Pneumonia should be treated properly to prevent the development of serious conditions like respiratory failure and death.

STAY HEALTHY AND FIT.