Pneumonia is a dangerous and quite insidious disease, leading to various complications. The pathology is characterized by an acute infectious and inflammatory process taking place in the lower parts of the respiratory tract, affecting the bronchioles and alveoli. The disease can overtake a patient of any age. However, in people with weakened immunity, it occurs most often. It is recommended to conduct treatment in a hospital. In any case, specialist supervision is required. The only correct drug needed in this case is an antibiotic. In tablets for pneumonia in adults, such drugs are considered the most suitable, because:
- easy to receive;
- quite effective.
It is strictly forbidden to select medicines on your own, because such an initiative is fraught not only with an aggravation of the condition, but even with a fatal outcome.
The main causes of the development of the disease
What antibiotics to take for pneumonia in adults in each case can only be determined by a doctor on the basis of a thorough examination of patients and clinical tests. It is known that a disease can cause activation of pathogens. But the reasons for the development of pathology can be a variety of bacteria:
- Pneumococci. In more than half of cases, these microorganisms are diagnosed.
- Staphylococci. Found in 5% of cases.
- Haemophilus influenzae. Laboratory studies reveal it in 6-7% of cases.
- Enterobacteria and mycoplasma. It is found in 6% of cases.
Streptococci, Legionella and Escherichia coli may also be causes. Similar microorganisms are found in 2-4% of cases.
In this regard, only a specialist can tell which antibiotics for pneumonia in adults will be effective, because each of them has a different active composition.
Risk factors
Pneumonia in an adult does not occur just like that. Risk factors are most often:
- Weakened immunity.
- Inadequate nutrition, when the diet is not enough high-quality meat, fresh fish, vegetables and fruits.
- Frequent stresses.
Often provoke the occurrence of pathology, constant colds. The result is a chronic infectious focus that promotes the growth of microorganisms. Alcoholism and smoking are also considered a risk factor.
Variety of pathology
What antibiotics for pneumonia in adults can contribute to recovery, depends on the etiology of the disease. According to medical terminology, the types of pneumonia are as follows:
- viral;
- bacterial;
- fungal;
- mycoplasmal;
- mixed.
Depending on the type definition, the doctor prescribes the appropriate antibiotic. The most common pathology is hospital pneumonia. The disease can develop in a patient within three days after being admitted to a hospital. Microorganisms settle in the lower respiratory tract, entering through the nasopharynx and gastrointestinal tract.
Depending on the course, specialists distinguish pneumonia:
In addition, pneumonia is divided into right-sided, left-sided and bilateral. The disease can be mild and severe in degree.
Antibiotic for pneumonia in adults: names, list
The basis of therapy for pneumonia should be antibiotics. But the choice of specific tablets completely depends on the identified pathogenic microorganism that caused the development of pathology. Pulmonologists use the following types of drugs in their practice:
- Penicillins. They can be both synthetically developed and natural. Used for pneumococcal and staphylococcal infections.
- Tetracyclines. Able to kill many pathogens.
- Cephalosporins. Effective against gram-negative bacteria and E. coli.
- Fluoroquinolones. Doctors prescribe them for detected bacterial pneumonia.
- Macrolides. If pneumonia is provoked by mycoplasma, then using this type of pills, you can quickly stop the inflammatory process.
An antibiotic in tablets for pneumonia in adults can be prescribed by a pulmonologist based on clinical tests. But it is important to remember that such drugs should be taken after an equal period of time, strictly following the recommended dosage, and not interrupt the prescribed course.
Regardless of the severity of the course, in the early days of the development of pathology, the patient is prescribed bed rest. Next, we consider the most famous and effective antibiotics in the form of tablets from the types described above.
Penicillin row
The most frequently recommended are penicillin antibiotics for pneumonia in adults. The list of known ones is:
- Amoxicillin;
- Ampicillin
- Amoxiclav.
"Amoxicillin" in the form of tablets is prescribed three times a day. The dosage for adult patients is usually 500 mg. However, depending on the severity of the pathology, the doctor may increase it to 1 g. Ampicillin has similar instructions for use.
Amoxiclav is made on the basis of two active ingredients and contains the semisynthetic produced penicillin amoxicillin, as well as clavulanic acid. Dosage is prescribed depending on the severity of the disease. Usually, doctors recommend 250 mg orally two or three times a day.
Cephalosporin line
If the disease is caused by Escherichia coli or gram-negative bacteria, then antibiotics for pneumonia in adults are prescribed from the category of cephalosporins. The names of specific drugs are as follows:
Cephalexin is available in standard pills as well as capsules. Prescribe the drug 30 minutes before the main meal of 0.25-0.5 g every 6 hours. It is important to take the medicine at least four times a day. "Cepepime" is indicated for pneumonia occurring in mild or moderate severity. To cure, doctors prescribe up to 1 g of an antibiotic at a time. Between the use of tablets should take 12 hours. However, the dosage can be increased by a pulmonologist to 2 g if the patient is in a serious condition.
Macrolide and tetracycline tablets
Antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia in adults (tablets) should be selected based on the type of microorganism that caused the pathology. Tetracyclines are rarely prescribed. This is justified by the fact that a similar type of antibiotic accumulates in tissues and organs. Thus provokes a large number of side effects. Among the pills, the most popular are:
- "Doxycycline";
- "Tetracycline."
"Tetracycline" doctors prescribe 0.5 g four times a day. Treatment should be carried out for at least a week.
Doxycycline is also used in the treatment of pneumonia. The maximum dosage is 600 mg. The duration of therapy can only be determined by a doctor based on the development of the inflammatory process.
However, antibiotics in tablets are considered the most effective and safe for pneumonia in adults from the category of macrolides. Among them, doctors distinguish:
- "Sumamed";
- "Erythromycin";
- Clarithromycin.
"Sumamed" is convenient to use because only one pill containing 500 mg of the active ingredient needs to be drunk per day. Moreover, the therapy is also short-lived. If the pathology proceeds without complications, then the course of treatment is usually 3-5 days.
Erythromycin in the form of tablets is prescribed four times a day in a dosage of 250 mg.
Antibiotics for treating pneumonia in adults are diverse. Many prefer the appointment of drugs that should be consumed for a short time. So, "Clarithromycin" should be taken during the day only two times. A similar scheme suits many patients. However, pulmonologists can prescribe a drug in the form of an intravenous solution to the patient.
The best antibiotics for pneumonia in adults should be safe and not cause serious side effects. The names of the above are already heard by many, because they are effective, but they act gently and quickly.
The use of fluoroquinolones
What antibiotics for pneumonia in adults (tablets) will help to cope with the infectious process completely, depends on the microorganism that caused the pathology. If the disease is provoked by legionella or Escherichia coli, then fluoroquinolones are prescribed. This variety of antibiotic drugs has its advantages. They penetrate deep into damaged tissues, while they do not cause pathogens in them to be resistant.
What antibiotics are prescribed for pneumonia in adults? The names of drugs from the category of fluoroquinolones are as follows:
- Ofloxacin. Assign two times a day from 200 to 800 mg.
- "Ciprofloxacin." It is recommended to take from 250 to 500 mg twice daily.
The course of therapy is determined individually by a pulmonologist in each case. On average, treatment for moderate pneumonia lasts from one to two weeks.
Side effects of antibiotic therapy
An antibiotic in tablets with pneumonia in adults can cause serious side effects. Therefore, it is so important that a specialist deals with their appointment based on a well-established diagnosis. However, the specifics of the tablets are such that even with proper prescription, they can cause:
- digestive disorders;
- allergic reactions.
Due to the fact that antibiotics disrupt the natural flora, vaginal candidiasis is often observed in the body of women. Patients of both sexes may develop:
- allergic reactions;
- neurotoxic symptoms;
- anaphylactic shock.
The smallest danger in terms of complications are tablets belonging to the penicillin series, as well as cephalosporins and macrolides. Therefore, pulmonologists often prescribe these medications.
Contraindications to the appointment of an antibiotic
If the patient has an individual intolerance to a drug, this is a direct contraindication to his appointment. Also, many antibiotics are prohibited for use during pregnancy and lactation.
However, such patients with well-established pneumonia also need antibiotic therapy. At the same time, the doctor selects the most gentle tablets for the woman in terms of exposure to the body. By the level of danger they are ranked as group B.
Diagnosis of pneumonia
To decide which antibiotics to drink for pneumonia in adult patients, the doctor conducts a detailed examination. To do this, the specialist uses the following methods:
- inspection;
- listening to the lungs with a stethoscope;
- body temperature measurement;
- sputum analysis;
- general and biochemical blood analysis;
- chest x-ray.
Radiography is believed to be the basis of diagnosis. The examination must be carried out in a direct, in some cases, lateral projection. This method allows the doctor to accurately diagnose, predict possible complications, prescribe effective therapy and evaluate its effectiveness. Therefore, an X-ray of the lungs with pneumonia is performed several times.
Depending on the severity of the disease, the doctor may prescribe the following measures:
This is necessary to rule out tuberculosis and lung cancer. An analysis of pleural fluid may also be prescribed.
Suspicious symptoms
Even the best antibiotics for pneumonia in adults can not help improve the condition if you do not make an accurate diagnosis. Common symptoms of the disease are:
- fever;
- dry angry cough;
- pain behind the sternum.
As inflammation increases, the patient complains of lack of air, excessive anxiety, muscle pain and fatigue. Blueing of nails and lips is sometimes fixed.
Despite the commonality of symptoms, pneumonia can be caused by various kinds of microorganisms. Only laboratory tests will help to establish their pathogenicity. Therefore, if you suspect the development of pneumonia, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is forbidden to use any pills and other drugs on your own in order to avoid serious complications and death.
If the doctor finds pneumonia, then antibiotic therapy will be the only right decision. However, complex treatment is needed. For this, a pulmonologist prescribes expectorant and antipyretic drugs. Strengthening immunity requires vitamin complexes with a high content of vitamins such as C, A and group B.
Of course, the use of antibiotics leads to various kinds of complications. Probiotics and prebiotics can be prescribed to get rid of unpleasant symptoms. They must be taken to put in order the intestinal microflora. Homeopathy also becomes relevant, but only a doctor can prescribe such drugs in accordance with the patient's condition and his individual physical characteristics.
How is an antibiotic selected?
Antibiotics in the treatment of pneumonia are an essential part of treatment. The choice of a group of such drugs is built by a specialist on the basis of a patient examination and the results of laboratory tests, bacterial sputum culture.
Only after the causative agent of the disease is determined, it is possible to conduct a test of its sensitivity to a certain category of antibiotic.
However, often the patient's condition requires immediate treatment. Therefore, before identifying the pathogen, the doctor can prescribe an antibiotic, following these principles:
- The use of tablets with a wide spectrum of action. In this case, the dosage is calculated so that a constant concentration of the active ingredient is in the blood.
- If SARS is detected, specialized medicines containing clarithromycin are also needed. The most effective drug is Sumamed.
Conclusion
It should be understood that the disease is dangerous and in the absence of proper treatment can lead to serious complications and even death. Prescribing antibiotics is justified and necessary. Do not refuse to take them because of possible side effects. Otherwise, the disease cannot be cured. The main condition for successful therapy is compliance with the recommended dosage and treatment regimen.