Pneumonia-Diseases (II)

by Robert Baird

Because pneumonia varies so much, no generalizations can be made about its outcome. In old, weak, or debilitated people, the main risk is death. Any type of pneumonia may lead to pleurisy , or empyema . The most dangerous type of pneumonia is caused by viruses such as an influenza virus, because they do not respond to antibiotics. Compare the mortality rate for viral pneumonia in the accompanying table with that for a form of pneumonia caused by pneumococcus bacteria, which is similarly virulent but can be treated with antibiotic drugs. With increasing age or chronic illness, your chances of surviving even a mild case of pneumonia are reduced more and more with time. What should be done?

Even if you have some of the symptoms usually associated with pneumonia, do not assume that you have it. Assume instead that you have a cold or some other infection of the respiratory tract, and take care of yourself accordingly. Consult your physician at once, however, if you become short of breath even when lying down, if your chest hurts when you breathe, or if you cough up blood stained sputum. Your physician will probably listen to your chest through a stethoscope, percuss, or finger tap, your chest, and ask you questions about the onset of symptoms and your smoking and drinking habits. It may be possible to make a firm diagnosis of pneumonia, and even of the type of pneumonia, based on such an examination. However, further tests such as a chest X-ray and laboratory examination of both blood and phlegm samples may also prove to be necessary. What is the treatment?

Self-help: None is possible.

Professional help: Because pneumonia can unexpectedly become severe in a matter of hours, your physician may recommend hospitalization. The best treatment may be simply a combination of warmth, soothing cough medicines, and antibiotics. However, close professional supervision and observation are highly desirable during the early stages of pneumonia, especially if there is some doubt about the precise nature and extent of the inflammation.

Antibiotic drugs may be given orally or by injection. There is a wide variety of antibiotics, and the choice for your case will depend largely on the probable cause of your illness. Laboratory tests of your blood and sputum should indicate what is causing your infection. Your doctor will also need to find out if there are any antibiotics to which you are either allergic or particularly responsive.

Analgesics such as aspirin help to relieve chest pain. If you are very breathless and turning blue, you are probably in need of oxygen, which is generally supplied with a face mask or a tube in your nose. If your lungs remain troublesome in spite of all attempts at treatment, your physician may recommend further tests. For example, bronchoscopy may be done to exclude the possibility of lung cancer .

A healthy young person should recover completely within two to three weeks. Even in cases of viral pneumonia, the chances of serious complications are minimal, since antibiotics can prevent secondary bacterial infection. Following recovery, you may still feel very tired for a long time after the infection is gone. A heavy cigarette smoker, or someone who is vulnerable in some other way, may take several months to recover from the illness or may die.

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