Pediatric Pneumonia - Essay Example

"Pediatric Pneumonia" is an exceptional example of a paper on child development.
Chief complaint: The infant was admitted with complaints of chest and abdominal pains. The child also presented with a persistent cough that was accompanied by lower abdominal pain.

History of present illness: The infant developed a persistent cough associated with a sharp pain in the lower abdominal region two days ago. The mother reports decreased feeding and irritability.

Past medical history: The mother reports that the infant has not had a history of respiratory tract infections in the past, although she was delivered at 35 weeks and was incubated for four weeks.

Family history: The family has no history of pneumonia infections

Current medications: The child is not on any medication yet

Immunizations: The child is not completely vaccinated. She has not received the full dose of the Haemophilus influenza type b and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13).

Social history: The infant is enrolled in a daycare centre hosting at least 20 children every day, and the mother feeds her on formula.

Review of systems: Chest and Lungs – the patient, reports general pain which is exacerbated by coughs.

Objective Data

Temperature is at 39 degrees Celsius, tachypnea at >50 breaths/min, abdominal tenderness, productive cough, yellow sputum.

Assessment

Pneumonia involves an inflammation of the alveoli and terminal airspaces. The irritation of the alveoli is usually a result of invasion by infectious agents introduced into the lungs either through inhalation or hematogenous spread. The inflammation results in leakage of plasma and loss of surfactant, resulting in loss of air and consolidation. Also, inappropriate responses or poor targeting by the host’s defence mechanisms may cause further damage to the pulmonary tissue (Bennett et al., 2015).

Based on the symptoms and history of the patient, the infection is most likely caused by a virus. The infant is enrolled in a daycare centre where she is likely to contract infections probably due to overcrowding or poor hygiene. Infected children may also spread infections to healthy ones. The infant is also not being breastfed. Thus, her immunity may be weak. Breastfeeding has proved to protect infants from lower respiratory tract infections (Prinelli et al., 2012). The infant is also susceptible to viral infections since she has not been fully vaccinated against H. Influenza and PCV. Since viral infections are the most common among infants above three months, the most likely pathogens, in this case, are respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza types I, II, and III and influenza A or B (Bennett et al., 2015).

Plan

Lab tests: The infant will need to take blood or sputum samples to the laboratory to determine the exact pathogen since the medication will depend on these results.

Medication: For RSV and influenza virus, reconstitute 6g of Ribavirin (Virazole) with 300ml of sterile water for injection. Alternatively, put 20mg/ml solution in SPAG-2 unit and continue aerosolized administration for 12-18 hr/day for 3-7 days. The mother can give over-the-counter paracetamol to relieve fever and pain. Due to the immature body systems, herbal remedies are not recommended for the infant at that age.

Nonpharmacologic: The mother should supplement the infant with multivitamins recommended for her age to boost her immunity. She should also ensure the infant’s environment is hygienic.

Caregiver education: The mother will be educated on the various ways she can manage pneumonia symptoms at homes such as fever and chest pain. She will also be given instructions on how to handle the infant such as making sure she is not dehydrated and correctly positioning her to alleviate the symptoms of pneumonia.

Follow-up: In case the symptoms do not recede, the mother should bring the child back to the hospital for further examination. The mother should also continue her routine post-natal visits.