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Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment of bacterial pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia What bacterium causes pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is a microbial infection of the respiratory tract, which occurs with the occurrence of intra-alveolar exudation and affected infiltration of the lung parenchyma. This significantly reduces the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. When the pathogen occurs in the organs, the patient experiences shortness of breath and pain when inhaling.

The risk group includes children under 5 years of age and old people over 75 years old. This pathology leads to a significant number of complications and a high probability of death of the patient.

Bacterial pneumonia is a type of infectious disease that has an adverse effect on the human respiratory system. This type of pneumonia is caused by bacteria. Some cases are characterized by damage from viruses, fungi, and chemicals.

Lung damage can be mild or severe, which leads to respiratory failure, and subsequently to the death of the patient. The severity of pneumonia is determined based on the pathogenicity of the bacterium, the person’s age, state of health and the protective function of the body.

Timely treatment with antibacterial drugs will significantly reduce the risk of developing an acute form of respiratory failure.

Classification of the disease

Based on the clinical development of the disease, there are:

focal (bronchial pneumonia);
lobar (lobar-lobar form).

The focal form is characterized by inflammatory changes that affect individual areas of the lung tissue and the adjacent bronchi.

The lobar form is characterized by damage to the parenchyma of the entire lobe of the organ. The infection often affects the lower parts of the respiratory system, accounting for 70% of cases.

In a patient, bacterial pneumonia can develop unilaterally or bilaterally. In the bilateral type, a one-time lesion of the pleural area is observed. If left untreated, pleural pneumonia may develop.

The classification of nosological types of the disease is based on the types of infections that cause pneumonia.

Pneumococci.
Staphylococci.
Streptococci.
Meningococcus.
Haemophilus influenzae.
Klebsiella.
Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Forms of infection with bacterial pneumonia

Inflammation of the respiratory system is divided into forms based on the site of infection.

Inside the hospital.
Outside the medical facility.

Infection within the walls of the clinic is very dangerous, as it is resistant to antibacterial drugs.

Nosocomial infection

You can catch pneumonia within 3 days after contact with bacteria in an inpatient setting or outpatient therapy. This type of disease is difficult to treat with antibiotics and can cause severe symptoms.

The most common causative agents of nosocomial lung infections are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which are resistant to methicillin.

Bacterial pneumonia is common:

in newborn babies;
people over 55 years old;
persons with weakened immune systems;
smokers.

Community-acquired infection

A community-acquired disease is classified as an infection that occurs due to the penetration of bacteria into the body from the environment. This type of infection is the most common. The infection spreads through airborne droplets, during coughing and sneezing of a nearby patient or through contact with another patient.

List of bacteria that cause bacterial pneumonia.

Pneumococcus is a more common cause of infection. It settles in the nasopharynx of a healthy person. If a person’s immunity decreases, when he inhales, this microorganism is transferred from the nasal passage to the respiratory system, also to the wound, the site of infection, where blood oozes.
Haemophilus influenzae - predominates on the tissues of the upper respiratory tract. Does not lead to the development of the disease before the immune status is disrupted.
Klebsiella; - present on the skin, in the oral cavity, and in the esophagus. It affects the category of people whose body’s defenses are weakened.
Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium often found in drug addicts, patients with chronic illnesses, and children with immature protective function. The bacterium can be present on the skin, mouth, and intestines.

Reasons for risk

The main factor in the development of bacterial pneumonia is a previous cold. It weakens the body by negatively affecting the respiratory system.

Also a provoking factor is renal failure, which leads to weakening of the person. Due to deficiency, metabolic processes slow down, a person’s immunity and functional abilities deteriorate.

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels, chronic respiratory diseases mainly appear in people over 55 years of age.

Risk factors also include:

In hospital-acquired pneumonia, risk factors include:

artificial ventilation;
earlier time after surgery;
dysbiosis.

Rare additional reasons are:

causes of risk in the context of aspiration-type pneumonia;
long periods of loss of sanity;
seizures, which are associated with spasms and muscle contractions;
diseases of the central nervous system, neurological ailments.

Symptoms of bacterial lung infection

The clinical picture and severity of pneumonia are determined by the type of infection, the volume of infection, age category and overall health status.

Experts often distinguish 2 types of respiratory system damage (typical and atypical form) based on symptoms and symptom complex. This makes it possible to determine the type of bacteria, duration of the disease, and optimal treatment.

The standard variant of the pathology is a sign of unexpected fever, which is characterized by fluctuations in body temperature throughout the day (5-10 degrees). The patient also develops a cough that has mucous, purulent or rusty sputum discharge. There are sensations of pain in the sternum, chills occur, and the skin becomes pale.

Patients complain of general weakness in the body, severe malaise. These may include headaches, shortness of breath, prolonged loss of appetite, and weight loss.

When the disease is bacterial pneumonia, symptoms may manifest as:

tachycardia;
arrhythmias;
hypotension;
renal and cardiac failure.

A very common and only symptom of bacterial pneumonia is unbearable weakness. For this reason, patients rarely go to the doctor with this symptom, and at this time the disease develops and moves to a more serious stage, which is difficult to treat.

In children, symptoms of bacterial pneumonia develop from nasopharyngeal problems. The inflammatory process is rapid compared to adults. Signs of a baby include:

rapid increase in temperature;
rapid breathing;
inability to inhale and exhale air normally;
discomfort in the abdominal area;
Vomiting is possible.

Bacterial pneumonia is characterized by complications after a cold or flu. The disease often leads to the following complications:

How to treat the disease?

To diagnose the disease, auscultation is performed, x-rays are prescribed, and possibly bronchoscopy. Research is a prerequisite; blood with leukoformula.

Treatment of bacterial lung damage is prescribed based on the severity, and takes place on an outpatient basis or in an inpatient setting, if necessary, in the IT department.

For pneumonia, when an illness caused by bacteria, antibiotic therapy is prescribed. The selection of antibacterial agents will depend on the patient’s age category, the presence of chronic diseases, smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and taking medications.

Bacterial disease is treated with the following antibiotics:

aminopenicillins;
macrolides;
cephalosporins in combination with drugs to kill microbes.

If community-acquired pneumonia is mild, oral and intramuscular medications are prescribed. Severe development of the disease is characterized by intravenous administration of drugs. Treatment takes 14 days.

When inflammation is caused by staphylococci, enterobacteria, legionella, a long course of therapy will be required, which is 14-20 days.

For bacterial aspiration and hospital-acquired pneumonia, fluoroquinolones, carbapenems, and combinations with aminoglycosides, lincosamides, and metronidazole are additionally prescribed.

Detoxification and immunotherapy will be required if there are complicated cases of the disease. It is also impossible to do without correction of microcirculatory changes, dysproteinemia, and oxygen therapy.

To avoid signs of dehydration, patients will need to drink enough fluids. This will help the body fight bacteria. Medicines that relieve inflammation will help overcome hyperthermia.

Acetaminophen - paracetamol.
Ibuprofen – Nurofen, Advil.

The following may also be prescribed:

analgesics;
glucocorticoids.
cardiac drugs.

In case of abscess formation, sanitation bronchoscopy is prescribed using solutions of antiseptics, antibiotics, and mucolytics.

During therapy and after recovery, patients are advised not to be in places where people smoke. Tobacco smoke suppresses the body's ability to fight infection, making the healing process long.

The prognosis of lung disease is characterized by the severity of the course and the adequacy of antibiotic therapy. The mortality rate of patients reaches 9%.

Not really

The inflammatory process caused by the action of bacteria on lung tissue is called bacterial pneumonia. Pathology includes many diseases that are diverse in origin, development and characteristics.

INTERESTING FACT

The clinical picture of pneumonia was described in detail in the works of many medical scientists of the past, including Hippocrates. Moreover, a significant breakthrough in the treatment of the disease occurred only after the discovery and use of penicillin from the late 40s of the 20th century.

Today, bacterial pneumonia, in the vast majority of cases, is well treated with antibiotics. However, only 30% of children in the world with this disease receive the necessary treatment.

symptoms:

occurs most often in children over 5 years of age and persons under 35 years of age;
may be a variant of neonatal pneumonia;
the disease is preceded by damage to the upper respiratory tract (runny nose, sore throat, redness of the throat, etc.);
the beginning is gradual;
weakness - moderate;
cough - prolonged, paroxysmal, with a small amount of viscous sputum discharged;
dry wheezing;
hard breathing;
the temperature is at first subfebrile, then, within about a week, it rises to 39 - 40 degrees, decreases again after another week, after which it remains subfebrile for a long time;
pain in the chest area that increases with breathing;
in approximately 20% of episodes it is not heard and is diagnosed only by radiography.

Until recently, it was customary to distinguish between acute and chronic pneumonia. Now they are moving away from this division, considering any inflammation of the lungs to be acute.

By severity:

mild, can be treated on an outpatient basis;
severe, requiring hospitalization.

According to the clinical course and morphological features, acute and chronic pneumonia are distinguished.

According to development conditions:

community-acquired (also called outpatient/home), acquired and developing outside the territory of a medical institution;
hospital (otherwise nosocomial/nosocomial), acquired and developing in a hospital or other similar medical institution;
aspiration, caused by the entry into the lungs of foreign masses infected with bacteria (for example, through vomiting, inhalation of a foreign body, etc.);
in persons with severe immunodeficiency conditions (HIV infection, other acquired or congenital immunodeficiency).

By pathogen type:

pneumococcal;
haemophilus influenzae;
staphylococcal;
mycoplasma;
chlamydial, etc.

The last two are not always classified as bacterial pneumonia, but are considered separately due to the specific characteristics of microorganisms.

By type of lesion:

focal, with the formation of foci of inflammation of various shapes and sizes;
confluent, when the lesions merge into larger ones;
segmental, with damage to a lung segment (monosegmental, polysegmental, etc.);
lobar (for example, lobar), affecting the entire lobe of the lung;
total, spreading to the entire lung;
interstitial, when the connective tissue of the lungs directly becomes inflamed (the partition between the alveoli - the pulmonary vesicles).

Inflammation may affect one lung or both (unilateral, bilateral). When making a diagnosis, the location of the lesion is often indicated (hilar, upper lobe, etc.).

In addition to the usual development, the disease sometimes takes a protracted course.

SYMPTOMS of bacterial pneumonia

Clinical manifestations of pneumonia vary widely depending on the cause

Symptoms of some types of pathology, depending on the pathogen: pneumococcal, hemophilic, staphylococcal, microplasma, chlamydial.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISTINCTION FROM

pneumonia caused by other pathogens (viruses, fungi, protozoa);
tuberculosis;
pulmonary infarction;
bronchiolitis obliterans (obstruction of bronchioles - the smallest branches of the bronchial tree);
pulmonary contusions;
pulmonary vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels);
acute sarcoidosis (formation of granulomas - nodular formations) in the lungs;
lung tumors, etc.

DIAGNOSIS of bacterial pneumonia

Examination for clinical symptoms (fever, cough with sputum, etc.).
Listen to the lungs to identify localized wheezing and changes in percussion (heard when tapping) sound.
Laboratory tests (clinical blood test, biochemical if necessary; sputum culture in some cases, etc.).
X-ray of the lungs (in one or two projections).

TREATMENT of bacterial pneumonia

FIRST AID

The appearance of signs of bacterial pneumonia is a clear indication to see a doctor.

Treatment of bacterial pneumonia is mainly based on the use of antibacterial agents. The duration of this type of therapy is determined by the severity of the disease, the general health of the patient, and the type of drug.

Antibiotics for the diagnosis of uncomplicated pneumonia are prescribed without waiting for the results of sputum culture, and often without conducting this study. Treatment can be carried out both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital setting, if necessary (in young children, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases/immunodeficiency conditions, etc.).

The first-line drug of choice is antibiotics of the penicillin or macrolide group (the latter are especially active against atypical pathogens - mycoplasmas, chlamydia). In the absence of an effect (improvement in general condition, decrease in temperature), the drug is replaced within 2-3 days, while simultaneously conducting a sensitivity test of microorganisms as needed. Cephalosporin antibiotics, fluoroquinolones, etc., as well as a combination of representatives of different groups, can also be prescribed.

Antibiotics are taken orally (by mouth); in severe cases in hospital conditions, the use of injection (intramuscular, intravenous) forms of drugs is allowed initially, followed by replacement with oral ones.

The duration of antibiotic treatment for mild pneumonia is about 10 days, mycoplasma/chlamydial pneumonia is about 2 weeks, and staphylococcal pneumonia is up to 21 days.

The following may be prescribed at the same time:

sulfa drugs (in rare cases, they also act as an alternative to antibiotics);
mucus thinners and expectorants;
oxygen therapy (oxygen treatment) for respiratory failure;
drainage massage (facilitates sputum discharge);
breathing exercises;
corticosteroids (to relieve severe inflammation);
physiotherapy (electrophoresis, UHF/microwave - exposure to ultra-high-frequency/super-high-frequency electromagnetic fields, etc.).

Surgical intervention is resorted to in the development of purulent complications - pulmonary abscess, pleural empyema.

During pregnancy this pathology is not an indication for interruption. Antibiotics of the penicillin group approved for use in this condition are prescribed.

In children treatment is carried out according to general principles, taking into account the greater prevalence of mycoplasma/chlamydial forms in this category of patients. The latter are well treated with macrolide antibiotics.

refuse antibacterial treatment;
experience physical activity;
use traditional medicine without a doctor's permission.

FOLK REMEDIES

The effectiveness of therapy for bacterial pneumonia is determined by the adequacy of antibiotics. Folk remedies can only act as auxiliary ones. The content of a huge number of substances with different biological activities in herbal preparations causes a high risk of undesirable effects. That is why before resorting to traditional medicine, it is important to consult with a supervising doctor.

Popular antipyretics:

infusion of berries or raspberry leaves;
Tea with lemon;
wiping with water, alcohol or vinegar solutions (for children, only water wiping or wraps are allowed!).

Liquefy mucus and facilitate its removal:

onion juice with honey;
infusion of oat grains with garlic;
black radish juice with honey;
milk decoction of figs.

Interesting! Rubbing with animal fat has been used since ancient times to treat severe pneumonia that occurs without fever. It was noted that such a procedure helped to slightly increase the temperature (which, according to modern explanations, stimulated the body's defenses) and increased the patient's chance of recovery.

REASONS AND MECHANISM OF DEVELOPMENT OF BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA

Bacterial pneumonia can be an independent disease, but more often develops against the background of an existing pathology (ARVI, chronic bronchopulmonary disease, etc.).

It is practically established that in 50% of episodes the disease is caused by pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) - a bacterium that looks like two glued balls. This pathogen is especially often the cause of pneumonia in children.

Haemophilus influenzae is responsible for the development of pathology in 10 - 20% of cases.

Infection is also possible:

rod-shaped legionella (Legionella pneumophila);
causing atypical forms of pneumonia by intracellular mycoplasma (Mycoplasma pneumoniae) and chlamydia (Chlamydia pneumoniae);
staphylococcus - a representative of a group of spherical bacteria;
Klebsiella pneumoniae;
coli;
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.

Infection of lung tissue in the vast majority of cases occurs bronchogenically - by inhaling the contents of the oropharynx or an airborne mixture containing bacteria. It is also possible for the pathogen to be carried into the area of inflammation with the flow of blood and/or lymph from neighboring or distant infectious foci (for example, with a liver abscess).

Contribute to the development of the disease:

acute respiratory viral infections suffered in the recent past;
chronic diseases of the lungs and bronchi (COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, asthma, etc.);
immunodeficiency states (primary, secondary);
pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
renal failure;
undergoing therapy on a ventilator;
performed bronchoscopy - examination of the bronchi using an optical system;
early postoperative period;
alcoholism;
smoking;
diabetes;
splenectomy;
pathologies of the central nervous system;
reflux esophagitis;
chest injuries, etc.

HOW TO PREVENT?

Measures to prevent bacterial pneumonia include:

adequate treatment of viral diseases;
identification and elimination of foci of chronic infection;
normalization of the environmental situation in the area of residence;
hardening;
sufficient exposure to fresh air;
normalization of work and rest schedules;
balanced diet;
vaccination against pneumococcal and hemophilus influenzae infections.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

Pulmonary abscess is the formation of a purulent cavity in the lung.
Pleural empyema is the accumulation of pus in the space between the layers of the pleura (the membranes surrounding the lungs).
Lung gangrene is the death of lung tissue.
Pulmonary edema.
Acute respiratory failure.
Obstruction (difficulty in patency) of the airways.
Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura.
Pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart.
Endocarditis is inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.
Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges.
Sepsis (a serious prognosis infectious blood disease), etc.

HISTORICAL REFERENCE

Term "pneumonia" comes from the Greek word "pneumon", meaning "lungs".

The predominant age for this disease is the period up to 20 (per 100,000 population, approximately 522 episodes are diagnosed in children under 14 years of age and 236 in adolescents 15 to 17 years of age) and over 60 years of age. Total number of pneumonia episodes per year per 100 thousand population:

out-of-hospital - 1200;
hospitalizations - 800.

Pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of child mortality: 15% of all deaths in children under 5 years of age died due to this pathology.

You are a fairly active person who cares and thinks about your respiratory system and health in general, continue to play sports, lead a healthy lifestyle, and your body will delight you throughout your life, and no bronchitis will bother you. But do not forget to undergo examinations on time, maintain your immunity, this is very important, do not overcool, avoid severe physical and strong emotional overload.

It's time to think about what you are doing wrong...

You are at risk, you should think about your lifestyle and start taking care of yourself. Physical education is required, or even better, start playing sports, choose the sport that you like most and turn it into a hobby (dancing, cycling, gym, or just try to walk more). Do not forget to treat colds and flu promptly, they can lead to complications in the lungs. Be sure to work on your immunity, strengthen yourself, and be in nature and fresh air as often as possible. Do not forget to undergo scheduled annual examinations; it is much easier to treat lung diseases in the initial stages than in advanced stages. Avoid emotional and physical overload; if possible, eliminate or minimize smoking or contact with smokers.

It's time to sound the alarm! In your case, the likelihood of getting pneumonia is huge!

You are completely irresponsible about your health, thereby destroying the functioning of your lungs and bronchi, have pity on them! If you want to live a long time, you need to radically change your entire attitude towards your body. First of all, get examined by specialists such as a therapist and a pulmonologist; you need to take radical measures, otherwise everything may end badly for you. Follow all the doctors’ recommendations, radically change your life, perhaps you should change your job or even your place of residence, completely eliminate smoking and alcohol from your life, and reduce contact with people who have such bad habits to a minimum, toughen up, strengthen your immunity as much as possible spend more time in the fresh air. Avoid emotional and physical overload. Completely eliminate all aggressive products from everyday use and replace them with natural, natural remedies. Do not forget to do wet cleaning and ventilation of the room at home.

There are three pathogens that cause most forms of infection: bacteria, viruses and fungi. But bacterial pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia among adults and the third most common cause of hospitalization. What is bacterial pneumonia?

In general, bacterial pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs that is caused by a bacteria. Different types of bacteria are responsible for this disease. In most cases, bacteria enter the lungs during inhalation, but they can also enter through the blood if other parts of the body are infected. The illness ranges from moderate to severe and if pneumonia is not treated, it can lead to breathing problems or death.

What causes bacterial pneumonia and risk factors?

The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in adults is a bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Pneumococcal pneumonia is responsible for about 90,000 hospitalizations per year in Russia, but a person can have pneumococcal infection without having pneumonia. For example, pneumococcal disease causes more than 1.5 million ear infections in children annually.

Risk factors for pneumonia include:

Having lung diseases such as asthma or
Presence of systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus
Weakened immune system
Age, either very young or very old
Alcohol abuse
Smoking

How to recognize bacterial pneumonia

First of all, pay attention to the phlegm. Most bacteria that cause pneumonia are pyogenic bacteria, which means they increase mucus production. A cough accompanied by discolored mucus is a classic sign of bacterial pneumonia. Other symptoms of pneumonia that may occur include:

Bacterial pneumonias tend to be more severe and have more noticeable symptoms than other types of pneumonia. Pneumonia, caused by viruses, which are also common, has symptoms that are similar to the flu, such as sore throat, headache, fever and dry cough.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is caused by tiny microbes that are closely related to bacteria. This type of pneumonia is often referred to as “walking pneumonia” and is usually less serious than bacterial pneumonia and rarely requires hospital treatment, with symptoms similar to influenza-like pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia occurs most often in children and young adults.

Preventing bacterial pneumonia

Vaccination is the best way to prevent bacterial pneumonia. Vaccinations are recommended for all children, adults over 65, and people with risk factors for pneumonia. Since 1997, pneumococcal vaccination has reduced pneumococcal infections in children by 74 percent and by 34 percent in adults over 65 years of age.

Getting an annual flu shot is also an important part of preventing pneumonia. One study found a strong association between influenza illness and pneumococcal pneumonia. Scientists have determined that the risk of developing pneumococcal pneumonia is 100 times higher when a person has the flu.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you can help yourself prevent bacterial pneumonia and other causes of pneumonia. Follow these steps to prevent pneumonia:

Work with your doctor to manage all your risk factors
Wash your hands often
Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke
Limit your alcohol intake
Eat well, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep

Improve your overall health, and add some basic healthy lifestyle skills to your daily routine, and you will significantly reduce your risk of developing bacterial pneumonia.

A common disease that poses a real threat to life is pneumonia in children, in the treatment of which modern medicine has made great progress. Even 30–40 years ago, according to statistics, doctors were able to save only every 3–4 child with pneumonia.

Modern methods of therapy have reduced the mortality rate from this disease tenfold, but this does not make the disease less serious. Prognosis in the treatment of each child always depends not only on the correct diagnosis and treatment plan, but also on the timeliness of contacting a doctor.

Inflammation of the lungs, called pneumonia, is a common disease that occurs not only in children of all ages, but also in adults.

The concept of pneumonia does not include other lung diseases, for example, vascular or allergic lesions, bronchitis and various disorders in their functioning caused by physical or chemical factors.

This disease is common in children; as a rule, approximately 80% of all lung pathologies in children are pneumonia. The disease is an inflammation of the lung tissue, but unlike other lung diseases, such as bronchitis or tracheitis, with pneumonia, pathogens penetrate into the lower parts of the respiratory system.

The affected part of the lung cannot perform its functions, emit carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen. For this reason, the disease, especially acute pneumonia in children, is much more severe than other respiratory infections.

The main danger of childhood pneumonia is that without adequate treatment, the disease quickly progresses and can lead to pulmonary edema of varying severity, and even death.

In children with a weak immune system, the disease occurs in very severe forms. For this reason, pneumonia in infants is considered the most dangerous, since their immune system is not yet fully developed.

The state of the immune system plays a large role in the development of the disease, but it is important to correctly determine the cause of pneumonia, since only in this case its treatment will be successful.

Causes of pneumonia

For successful treatment of pneumonia in children, it is important to correctly diagnose the disease and identify the causative agent. The disease can be caused not only by viruses, but also by bacteria and fungi.

Often the cause is the microbe pneumococcus, as well as mycoplasma. Therefore, the nature of the occurrence of pneumonia may be different, but this particular point is important for organizing effective treatment, since the drugs to combat bacteria, viruses and fungi are completely different.

Pneumonia can have different origins:

Bacterial origin. The disease can occur not only against the background of another illness of the respiratory system, as a complication, but also independently. Antibiotics for pneumonia in children are used specifically for this form of the disease, since it requires careful and urgent antibiotic therapy.
Viral origin. This form of the disease is the most common (detected in approximately 60% of cases) and the mildest, but requires adequate treatment.
Fungal origin. This form of pneumonia is rare; in children, it usually occurs after inadequate treatment of respiratory diseases with antibiotics or their abuse.

Inflammation of the lungs can be unilateral, affecting one lung or part of it, or be bilateral, affecting both lungs at once. As a rule, with any etiology and form of the disease, the child’s temperature rises significantly.

Pneumonia itself is not a contagious disease and even with a viral or bacterial form it is very rarely transmitted from one child to another.

The only exception is atypical pneumonia, the cause of which was the activation of a certain type of mycoplasma. In this case, the disease in children is very severe, accompanied by high temperatures.

Special mycoplasmas of pneumonia, causing respiratory mycoplasmosis and pneumonia, are easily transmitted by airborne droplets, causing various forms of respiratory system diseases, the severity of which depends on the state of the child’s immune system.

The symptoms of this type of pneumonia are somewhat different:

At the very beginning of the disease, the child’s temperature rises sharply, reaching 40°C, but after that it decreases and becomes subfebrile with persistent values of 37.2–37.5°C. In some cases, complete normalization of indicators is observed.
In some cases, the disease begins with the usual signs of an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold, such as a sore throat, frequent sneezing, and a severe runny nose.
Then shortness of breath and a very strong dry cough appear, but acute bronchitis also has the same symptoms, this fact complicates the diagnosis. Children are often treated for bronchitis, which greatly complicates and aggravates the disease.
By listening to a child's lungs, the doctor cannot detect pneumonia by ear. The wheezes are rare and varied in nature; there are practically no traditional signs when listening, which greatly complicates the diagnosis.
When examining a blood test, as a rule, there are no pronounced changes, but an increase in ESR is detected, as well as neutrophilic leukocytosis, supplemented by leukopenia, anemia and eosinophilia.
When performing an X-ray, the doctor sees in the images foci of heterogeneous infiltration of the lungs with an enhanced expression of the pulmonary pattern.
Mycoplasmas, like chlamydia, which causes atypical pneumonia, can exist for a long time in the epithelial cells of the lungs and bronchi, and therefore the disease is usually protracted and, having appeared once, can often recur.
Treatment of atypical pneumonia in children should be done with macrolides, which include clarithromycin, josamycin and azithromycin, since pathogens are most sensitive to them.

Indications for hospitalization

Only a doctor can decide where and how to treat a child with pneumonia. Treatment can be carried out not only in a hospital setting, but also at home, however, if the doctor insists on hospitalization, this should not be prevented.

Children are subject to hospitalization:

with a severe form of the disease;
with pneumonia complicated by other diseases, for example, pleurisy, cardiac or respiratory failure, acute impairment of consciousness, lung abscess, drop in blood pressure, sepsis or infectious-toxic shock;
who have damage to several lobes of the lung at once or a lobar variant of pneumonia;
up to a year. In infants under one year of age, the disease is very severe and poses a real threat to life, so their treatment is carried out exclusively in a hospital setting, where doctors can provide them with emergency care in a timely manner. Children under 3 years of age also undergo inpatient treatment, regardless of the severity of the disease. Older children can undergo home treatment, provided that the disease is not complicated;
who have chronic diseases or severely weakened immunity.

Treatment

In most cases, the basis of therapy for pneumonia is the use of antibiotics, and if the doctor prescribed them to the child, in no case should they be abandoned.

No folk remedies, homeopathy or even traditional methods of treating ARVI can help with pneumonia.

Parents, especially during outpatient treatment, must strictly comply with all doctor’s instructions and strictly follow all instructions in terms of taking medications, eating, drinking, resting and caring for a sick child. In a hospital, all necessary measures must be carried out by medical personnel.

Pneumonia needs to be treated correctly, which means you should follow some rules:

If all instructions are followed, the sick child is transferred to the usual regimen and allowed to walk in the fresh air from about 6–10 days of therapy. For uncomplicated pneumonia, after recovery, the child is given freedom from physical activity for 1.5-2 months. If the disease is severe, sports will be allowed only after 12–14 weeks.

Prevention

It is necessary to pay special attention to preventive measures, especially after the child has suffered from an illness. It is important to prevent accumulation of sputum in the lungs, which is why the disease develops.

Maintaining sufficient humidity in your baby's room will not only help ensure easy breathing, but will also be an excellent measure to prevent mucus from thickening and drying in the lungs.

Sports and high mobility of children are excellent preventive measures that help eliminate mucus from the lungs and respiratory tract and prevent the formation of its accumulations.

Drinking plenty of fluids not only helps keep your baby’s blood in good condition, but also helps thin the mucus in the airways and lungs, making it easier to eliminate naturally.

Pneumonia can be treated effectively only if all doctor's instructions are followed. But, of course, it is much easier to prevent it, and for this, any diseases of the respiratory system should be promptly and completely eliminated.

It must be remembered that pneumonia in most cases becomes a complication when colds or other diseases of the respiratory system are neglected, as well as when therapy is not carried out in a timely manner or treatment is stopped prematurely. Therefore, in order to avoid possible complications and the development of pneumonia, you should not self-medicate colds, but consult a doctor for any manifestations.

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