Pneumonia is an acute infectious inflammation that occurs in the lung tissue. Pathology is a dangerous disease in young children and adolescents. Kids up to 1 year old can hardly tolerate the disease. Complications of pneumonia in children are not uncommon. The article presents the common consequences of this disease.
General information about complications
According to the WHO, every year about 15% of the detected cases of the disease lead to death. An increased percentage of mortality is associated with negative factors: this may be a lack of timely treatment, or improperly selected therapy. The causes of pneumonia complications in children include a poorly treated disease, as well as self-medication at home.
Among the likely consequences, specialists highlight immediate and delayed symptoms. The first group includes the development of purulent complications in the pulmonary system and bronchi, neurotoxicosis, or malignant intoxication of the body. These effects develop in the lungs of children on the 2nd – 3rd day of the onset of an acute disease. All the possible complications of pneumonia in children are described below.
Types of consequences
The appearance of severe complications of pneumonia in children occurs after the completion of the acute stage of the disease. They lead to a deterioration in the condition of the child. The consequences are divided into 2 types:
- Pulmonary complications of pneumonia in children who are not able to be transmitted to other organs. This group includes empyema of pleura or exudative pleurisy.
- Extrapulmonary complications of pneumonia in children that spread to other organs. These include heart failure, difficulty breathing, sepsis, abscess.
The exact same (pulmonary, extrapulmonary) complications arise with croupous pneumonia in children.
In the body of children, a lesion of the left side of the lung usually appears. In a child, left-sided pneumonia is detected, and in an adult - a lesion of the right side of the lung. Especially dangerous is pneumonia in newborns. Usually, infection occurs during childbirth or in the first days of life.
Immediate complications
The main reason for these complications of pneumonia in children is improperly selected or incomplete treatment. Immediate pathologies include:
- Intoxication or Waterhouse-Friedericksen syndrome. It develops when endotoxins enter the bloodstream. Such toxic microorganisms lead to severe poisoning. The child has an increase in temperature to 39 degrees, it is difficult to bring down. Other signs include lethargy, refusal to eat, exhaustion, febrile fever. These signs can affect breathing, leading to complications. The dangerous consequences of this condition include death.
- Neurotoxicosis. Features include hyperactivity of the child, which is replaced by a sharp apathy. There may be a depressed state and lethargy. After a breakdown, a temperature increase of up to 40 degrees is observed. Then the appearance of seizures is likely, there may be a short stop in breathing.
Deferred Impairment
These are complications of acute pneumonia in children. In the lung tissue there is inflammation caused by pathogenic microflora. Young children can hardly tolerate this condition. There is a risk of many serious consequences.
The late complications of acute pneumonia in children include:
- Exudative pleurisy or accumulation of fluid in the pleura. In the absence of treatment, a state of "breast dropsy" appears. Symptoms of complications after pneumonia in children include severe pain in the chest area. Fix the problem with a puncture or operation.
- Purulent pleurisy. Appears after layering on the organ of infection of a secondary nature. Pathogenic organisms enter the respiratory system and purulent inflammation appears. Symptoms include low body temperature, vomiting, expectorant cough with pus.
- Gangrene. It leads to rotting and decay of the lung. A complication appears when the form is running. In the lung, a lesion is formed filled with pus, tissue melting is observed. This effect manifests itself in the form of the allocation of gray-green sputum, unpleasant odor, swelling of the fingers on the hands and feet.
- Abscess of the lung. In the body appears 1 focus of inflammation. At stage 1, symptoms of intoxication, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath are distinguished. In children, rarely observed. Often appears in adults who abuse alcohol.
- Multiple destruction. In this purulent-inflammatory process, cavities in the lung tissue appear. Compared with an abscess, there are several foci and a strong secretion of sputum (up to 1 liter per day). The latter stands out "full mouth."
- Pulmonary edema. The reason is the accumulation of fluid in the lung tissue. With this complication, oxygen decreases and carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, shortness of breath and cyanosis appear. The wheezing is wet, they are noticeable in the distance. When coughing, pink foam comes out of the mouth - this shade is associated with the penetration of red blood cells from the blood into the alveoli.
Respiratory failure
This is a complication of pneumonia in young children, often seen in preschoolers. It manifests itself in the form of shortness of breath, shallow breathing, or frequent inhalation / exhalation. In children, a change in the shade of the lips is observed, cyanosis occurs. Pathology is able to proceed in 3 stages. On the first there is shortness of breath after light physical exertion, on the second - after a little more, on the third appears shortness of breath and vomiting in a calm state.
Heart Disorders
After acute pneumonia in children is the most common complication. Failures in the functioning of the cardiovascular system appear with different forms of the disease. If there is no treatment, these disorders lead to chronic insufficiency of blood flow or endocarditis.
The occurrence of signs is affected by the degree of intoxication and dehydration of the body. With violations of the heart, the appearance of:
- high blood pressure;
- impaired blood circulation;
- permeability of the walls of capillaries and membranes;
- swelling and shortness of breath.
Other consequences
A dangerous consequence is sepsis or blood poisoning. The child develops bacteremia - the entry of microbes into the bloodstream. The causative agent of the disease causes the release of citins by the cells of the immune system. The characteristic symptoms of sepsis, doctors include increased body temperature, low blood pressure, disorientation of the child, impaired pulse and breathing, short loss of consciousness. With blood poisoning, peritonitis, septic arthritis, meningitis develops.
Another complication is pyopneumothorax. Appears after an abscess breaks into the pleura. An increase in the amount of air occurs in the cavity, a shift in the anatomical space of the sternum is observed. Symptoms appear sharply: pain, respiratory failure, respiratory failure. During treatment, urgent decompression (lowering the fluid level) is required.
Cough and fever after illness
Cough after the disease is caused by objective reasons. After treatment of pneumonia in the lungs, small foci remain that are not visible on x-rays after treatment. These parts can lead to coughing for several weeks. The cough is paroxysmal and usually occurs in the morning.
When the cough is persistent and strong, you need to see a doctor to prescribe treatment:
- taking medication;
- performing breathing exercises;
- inhalation;
- chest massage;
- physiotherapy and warming up.
When the cough lasts more than 2 weeks, the child is prescribed expectorant and bronchodilators, mucolytics. These include “ACC”, “Bronchoton”. If the temperature remains after the disease, then this may be a symptom of inflammation, which has not yet disappeared. With prolonged coughing and fever, to eliminate the risk of negative consequences, an antibioticogram is performed and a pulmonologist is consulted.
Disability with pneumonia
Complications of pneumonia are the basis for disability. If the child has a 2nd and 3rd degree of respiratory failure, disability opens. Causes and conditions are found out during an examination with an immunologist.
Disability is established with a pronounced violation of the immune status, which is manifested by frequent pneumonia, as well as due to congenital pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system. In order to register this status, the immunogram and the original statements for the year are given to the chairman of the medical commission. The decision is made on medical and social examination.
Treatment
To exclude complications of pneumonia in children, clinical recommendations must be followed. But if they are already identified, then treatment is required. Therapy is aimed at restoring the body of children. It is required to completely eliminate the residual effects, the scars in the pleura should dissolve and the immune tone should be optimized. Recovery is performed using the following measures:
- Resorbable drugs and biological activators are used, which can be used for children.
- Physiotherapeutic measures are performed.
- Decoctions and infusions from herbs are used that have a restoring function. They can be used after consultation with a doctor, especially with a protracted form.
- It is necessary to improve the condition of the intestinal flora after a course of antibiotics.
- Need vitamin therapy.
It is permissible to use the method of aerotherapy, presented as oxygen therapy by means of a nasal catheter. It is equipped in the lower nasal passage. In this case, the child will receive 25-35% of the desired ratio of oxygen mass. The component must be delivered without interruptions for a long time. Usually 2-10 hours, it depends on the severity of the disease.
During treatment, it is required to restore airway patency. For this, mucolytics are used (agents that dilute mucous secretions). To improve the circulation of the intravascular type, 2.4% aminophylline is used, which is administered intravenously in an amount of 0.1 ml / kg for children under 1 year old. Then add 1 ml for each year of life. “Xanthinol nicotinate” and inhalation of a warm-wet type helps.
Vaccination and Prevention
There are drugs to carry out prophylaxis or vaccines against infections that affect the likely consequences. When an opportunistic type of infection is at risk, the vaccine will help with a weak immune background.
After suffering an ailment, it is important to control that the child does not have an accumulation of sputum in the lungs. Adequate humidity should be maintained in the room; regular ventilation of the room is required. Intensive drinking leads to liquefaction of mucus. After pneumonia, physiotherapy and treatment in sanatoriums are effective.
If there was pneumonia, it should be monitored by a pediatrician for 1 year. During recovery, you need to drink vitamins, be more in the fresh air. It is required to restore the intestinal microflora. For some period after the illness, it is necessary to prevent the child from contacting a patient with acute respiratory infections.
To prevent complications from pneumonia, you must consult a doctor if you have symptoms of a cold, SARS, or lingering cough. Timely detected disease is easier to cure than a running one. When recovering, you must adhere to a healthy lifestyle. You need sports, relaxation, balanced nutrition. An excellent preventive measure is infection control. All indicated methods will allow eliminating complications in a short time.
Output
Complications appear with improper or untimely treatment. If you experience the first symptoms, do not delay the trip to the doctor. It is necessary to follow the recommendations of a specialist, and also not to self-medicate. Only with a responsible attitude to health can dangerous consequences be avoided.