Symptoms, Diagnosis and Prevention of Pneumonia - Assignment Example

?Pneumonia Introduction Pneumonia is a medical that affects the air sacs in the lungs identified as alveoli and it can be defined further as aninflammatory lung condition. This condition is tends to be caused by either viral or bacterial infections, as well as certain microorganisms or some drugs which individuals are ingesting. In addition, pneumonia might be caused by autoimmune diseases, which make it easier for infections to occur in the lungs. Among the most typical symptoms of this condition coughs, pain in the chest, a certain amount of fever, as well as the person infected having difficulty in breathing. Various tools are used in diagnosing this condition and these include the use of x-rays, or taking a sample of sputum for testing. There are various types of vaccines available for the prevention of pneumonia and these are complemented by the treatment measures available for those who suffer from the infection. The treatment of this condition depends on the agent that caused it, whether it is viral or bacterial. If the infection is caused by bacteria, then the condition is treated using antibiotics, but if the condition is caused by a virus; on the other hand, the most common treatment used are neuraminidase inhibitors. When an infection is deemed severe, the most likely cause of action that doctors tend to take is to have the patient admitted to hospital because if left untreated, this condition often proves to be fatal. It is estimated that on an annual basis, pneumonia affects over four hundred million people and of these, about four million meet their deaths from the condition (Kornum et al 2008, p.1542). While this condition has been made treatable with the advancement of the development of antibiotic therapy as well as vaccines, pneumonia still remains one of the most dangerous as well as the a leading cause of death, especially in developing countries. The people, in these countries, who are at the most risk of infection, tend to be the young, the elderly, and those who are extremely ill. Symptoms Those who are infected by pneumonia tend to display certain symptoms, which provide the evidence that they have indeed been infected. Among the symptoms that they display include coughing, a fever, a stabbing pain in the chest when taking deep breaths, and most of all, and an increase in the rate of respiration because of the shortness of breath that they experience. One of the most prominent symptoms that are displayed by older people is that of being confused. Among children, on the other hand, there is often a fever, coughing, as well as difficulty in breathing. When making a diagnosis of the condition, too much insistence should not be put on the detection of a fever because it can be found in quite a number of diseases such as malaria among other severe diseases (Chandra et al 2010, p.862). In addition, coughs should also not be considered a common symptom among children who are less than a year old and instead, more severe signs should be looked out for. Among the severe symptoms of this condition is the appearance of a blue tinge on the skin, a decrease in the infected person’s thirst, convulsions, and the most severe of all, a decrease in consciousness level. Whatever the source of infection, whether bacterial or viral, the victims of pneumonia often display the same symptoms and this is the reason why specific tests have to be carried out to ensure that the correct treatment is prescribed to a patient (Metlay and Fine 2003, p.109). While pneumonia is often caused by either bacterial or viral infections, it is common to find that even fungi and other parasites can cause this condition. It has, however been estimated that of the over one hundred agents that can potentially cause pneumonia, only a few of these agents are actually responsible for the majority of the cases involved (Kollef et al, 2005, p.3855). In a little more than 45% of the cases studied in children, it has been found that the causing agents have been a mixture of bacterial and viral infections. Among adults, on the other hand, the potential for there being a mixed bacterial and viral infection as a cause for pneumonia has been estimated to be about 15%. The causing agent of an infection cannot be identified in more than half of the cases tested, despite the tests being conducted carefully. This is the reason why pneumonia has come to be an all-purpose term for any illness that causes the inflammation of the lungs. Various factors, which influence the development of pneumonia, which include the following: smoking, chronic kidney disease, immunodeficiency among other factors (Cecere, et al 2012, p.1057). The uses of medications that are meant for the suppression of acids as well as old age are risk factors that also expose individuals to pneumonia. Diagnosis The diagnosis of pneumonia is often done using a combination of both the physical symptoms as well as the conducting of a chest x-ray but despite these; the underlying causative agents of this condition are difficult to determine (Corley et al 1997, p.459). This is because of the fact that definitive tests for the determination of the causative agents of this condition have yet to be made. According to the World Health Organization, this condition in children is defined as their having coughs or difficulty in breathing as well as having a rapid respiratory rate. The latter is defined as rapid when the rate of breathing is more than sixty breaths a minute, especially in children who are less than two months old. It has been found that in children, it is much more effective to check for an increased respiratory rate and chest in drawing than having to listen to their chest crackles using a stethoscope. Among adults, it is not necessary to conduct investigations in cases where there are mild symptoms, as long as all the vital signs of the individual are normal. Among those people who require hospitalization after infection, it is recommended that chest radiography and blood tests should be conducted. It is a fact that many of the viral infections that cause pneumonia are based on influenza and because of this, it must not only be confirmed by symptoms, but also through the conducting of tests (Jackson et al 2008, p.398). The healing of pneumonia is usually based on the occurrence of influenza within a society as well as an influenza test. Among the other symptoms that are revealed during a physical examination is a decrease in blood pressure, a high heart rate as well as low saturation of oxygen in the blood (Clara et al 2012, p.756). The increase in the respiratory rate in the person infected tends to happen a day or two before the other symptoms mentioned above manifest themselves. In making a chest exam, it will be found that while the tests may turn out to be normal, there will be a decrease in the expansion of the chest especially on the side that has been affected. Using a stethoscope, a medical practitioner might seek to hear the harsh breath sounds that are made through the larger air paths of inflamed lungs, to determine whether a patient is undergoing bronchial breathing or not. When a person is suspected of having an infection, one of the symptoms that are often looked out for is that of crackles being heard over the area that has been infected when breathing in (Aguero et al 2006, p.810). Prevention Among the best ways that have been found to prevent pneumonia is the use of vaccines as well as acting appropriately for the treatment of other health problems that might be a cause of the condition. It has been estimated that if preventive measures are to be taken to deal with the condition, the quite a large number of children, nearly half a million, would be saved from death per annum (Abraham et al 2001, p.1414). It has also been found that if the necessary treatment for the condition is made available, especially for children, worldwide, then the mortality rates would be reduced by another half a million. This means that a combination of preventative measures as well as treatments would ensure that the mortality rates among children would be brought down by a million, an extremely significant reduction indeed (Jadavji et al 1997, p.703). Pneumonia vaccines prevent some infections that are either caused by viruses or bacteria in the entire human population, but influenza vaccines have also been found to be effective in preventing infections. It is recommended that individuals who are over six months old should undergo vaccination every year so that the risk of infection, especially those caused by viruses, can be reduced. It is recommended that those people who smoke cease to do so because they are at a higher risk of being infected than other people. Furthermore, the reduction of indoor air pollution goes a long way in preventing the development of pneumonia, and to achieve this end, indoor cooking using such fuels as wood should cease. Other preventative measures include the keeping of good general hygiene as well as coughing into ones sleeve in order to prevent any possible infection from being transferred to others (Reyes et al 2011, p.1406). It is further recommended that those people who are infected by the condition wear surgical masks because to do so will ensure that the risk of the infection being spread within the population is greatly reduced. Pneumonia is sometimes caused by underlying diseases such as HIV or malnutrition, and as a preventative measure, these diseases have to be treated appropriately so that this risk can be reduced (Palepu, et al 2003, p.243). Mothers who exclusively breastfeed their children who are less than six months old ensure that the risk of their contracting pneumonia is reduced, and that if these children are infected, then there is a reduction in the severity of the condition. Treatment When a specialist in the infections that cause pneumonia is making a treatment plan, he or she should also consider other possible treatments for the condition apart from the administration of oral antibiotics (Qazi 2002, p.835). If there is no improvement in the condition of the patient through home care, and the symptoms he or she displays seem to worsen, then it will be necessary for such a person to be hospitalized so that he can receive specialized care (McNally et al 2007, p.1443). There are times when the only option left for specialists is to design a treatment plan which include the trial of new drugs or treatment methods for their patients. Such options tend to come about especially in situations where other treatments have failed to work. While these new treatments are designed to help the patients involved, they also help in the assessment of how different drugs work on them. This helps in future research, which comes up with even better treatments for pneumonia. In conclusion, it can be said that pneumonia is a medical condition that has plagued the human population for a long time, and it can affect anyone, no matter how young or old they are. Because of this, it is essential to ensure that enough funding is provided so that research in the treatment of this condition can be advanced. In almost every instance that one develops this disease, it comes to affect everyone who is close to them. In severe cases, it is quite possible that an infected person might transmit the condition to those around them, and this is something that is highly undesirable. There are times when treatment for the condition while the patient resides at home proves to be difficult, and the solution is often to have then hospitalized. It is, therefore, essential that the specialist involved in the treatment of the disease to provide the patient with all the treatment options available for them, so that the patient is aware of all the possible ways that their condition might be treated. After doing this, it is the duty of the specialist to advice the patient on what the best treatment options for them are available. When the patient is aware of all the treatment options open to them, it will be immensely easy for them to adjust their lifestyle so that they can dedicate themselves to their recovery. Bibliography Abraham, E., et al. 2001. "Prevention of Influenza and Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Canadian Long-Term Facilities: How are we Doing?" Canadian Medical Association. Journal 164.10: 1413-9. Print. Aguero, G., et al. 2006. "Beneficial Immunomodulatory Activity of Lactobacillus Casei in Malnourished Mice Pneumonia: Effect on Inflammation and Coagulation." Nutrition 22.7: 810-19. Print. Cecere, L.M., et al. 2012."Smoking Cessation and the Risk of Hospitalization for Pneumonia." Respiratory medicine 106.7: 1055-62. Print. Chandra, A., et al. 2010. "A Multicenter Analysis of the ED Diagnosis of Pneumonia." The American Journal of Emergency Medicine 28.8: 862-5. Print. Clara, W., et al. 2012. "Estimated Incidence of Influenza-Virus-Associated Severe Pneumonia in Children in El Salvador, 2008-2010." World Health Organization Bulletin of the World Health Organization 90.10: 756-63. Print. Corley, D.E., et al. (1997). "Reproducibility of the Histologic Diagnosis of Pneumonia among a Panel of Four Pathologists." Chest 112.2: 458-65. Print. Jackson, M.L., et al. 2008. "Influenza Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Immunocompetent Elderly People: A Population-Based, Nested Case-Control Study." The Lancet 372.9636: 398-405. Print. Jadavji, T., et al. 1997. "A Practical Guide for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Pneumonia." Canadian Medical Association Journal 156.5: 703-11. Print. Kollef, M.H., et al. 2005. "Epidemiology and Outcomes of Health-Care-Associated Pneumonia*: Results from a Large US Database of Culture-Positive Pneumonia." Chest 128.6: 3854-62. Print. Kornum, J.B., et al. 2008. "Diabetes, Glycemic Control, and Risk of Hospitalization with Pneumonia: A Population-Based Case-Control Study." Diabetes care 31.8: 1541-5. Print. McNally, L.M., et al. 2007. "Effect of Age, Polymicrobial Disease, and Maternal HIV Status on Treatment Response and Cause of Severe Pneumonia in South African Children: A Prospective Descriptive Study." The Lancet 369.9571: 1440-51. Metlay, J.P., and Fine, M.J. 2003. "Testing Strategies in the Initial Management of Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia." Annals of Internal Medicine 138.2: 109-18. Palepu, A., et al. 2003. "Predictors of Early Hospital Readmission in HIV-Infected Patients with Pneumonia." Journal of General Internal Medicine 18.4: 242-7. Qazi, S. 2002. "Clinical Efficacy of 3 Days Versus 5 Days of Oral Amoxicillin for Treatment of Childhood Pneumonia: A Multicentre Double-Blind Trial." The Lancet 360.9336: 835-41. Reyes, S., Montull, B., Martinez, R., Cordoba, J., Molina, J.M., Marti, V., Martinez, A., Ramirez, P. & Menendez, R. 2011, "Risk factors of A/H1N1 etiology in pneumonia and its impact on mortality", Respiratory medicine, vol. 105, no. 9, pp. 1404-11. Read More