Purulent destructive pneumonia in children is a fairly common phenomenon. The disease is complex and dangerous. During the acute course, the child is poisoned by the body, it is difficult to breathe, and loud rales are heard from the lungs.
Statistics
If we talk about the spread of this disease, then it occurs in 80% of all lung diseases at an early age. In 20% of cases it is provoked by influenza virus. This situation is usually observed in children aged from 1 day to 1 year. In 10% of cases, the disease affects 2-3 year old babies. At this age, destructive pneumonia in children is painful. This is associated not only with the specifics of the pathology itself, but also with the characteristics of the body. The mortality rate for this problem is high: from 0.1% to 0.4%.
Any pathology, especially if it is associated with the lungs, should be diagnosed in time and completely cured. If the treatment was prescribed incorrectly, then the patient may begin to have severe inflammation, which will lead to the death of the child.
Etiology
Acute destructive pneumonia develops in children due to viral and bacterial factors. The latter provoke the problem most often. The main pathogens should be called pneumococcus, E. coli, staphylococcus and so on.
If we talk about viral infections, they provoke pneumonia, measles, adenovirus, and flu. Any pathogenic microorganisms that parasitize in humans begin to weaken the immune system. Therefore, the tissues of the respiratory tract begin to die over time. Over time, layers of infection begin to replace them.
Often described pathology in young children is provoked by prematurity. Doctors call the severe form the one in which, along with pneumonia, some other diseases develop. These include all diseases that affect the lungs. May be infectious, caused by viruses and bacteria. Long-term treatment with drugs and antibiotics leads to the occurrence of E. coli in the body. This leads to the formation of pneumonia.
Classification
Destructive pneumonia in children is divided into several subspecies. If we talk about the course of the disease, then there is an acute and protracted. The shape of the pathology distinguishes segmental, croupous, focal and interstitial.
Light, moderate and severe pathologies are also distinguished according to their severity . Moreover, such a separation is made without taking into account the nature of the disease.
Each of the above forms has its own symptoms and course. Based on these data, the attending physician chooses the direction of treatment. In addition, the specialist should pay attention to how the child breathes.
Mild symptoms
A mild form of bacterial destructive pneumonia in children can be easily treated. Symptoms are minimal, the condition of the baby does not particularly change. Signs of intoxication are completely invisible. The temperature can rise up to 38.5 degrees. When there is a problem with breathing, the baby becomes irritated and moody. If the baby is breastfed, then when breastfeeding, he will often swallow air. When a blood test is taken, the results may come back normal.
Symptoms of moderate form
When viral or bacterial destructive pneumonia in children is in a moderate condition, they become lethargic, constantly want to sleep, are capricious. Appetite is reduced. It’s hard for them to exercise. Nausea with vomiting, diarrhea may occur. The heat will stay at around 39 degrees.
It’s hard for the baby to breathe, the skin becomes pale due to this. When the child begins to hysteria and cry, cyanosis begins to intensify. In such a standing, the baby can jump in pressure, tachycardia appears. The liver and spleen increase in size.
Severe Symptoms
Acute destructive pneumonia in severe children is cured quite difficult, and the symptoms are serious. A breathing problem begins, symptoms of intoxication appear. Body temperature can rise up to 40 degrees. The skin becomes marble, and the rhythm of breathing constantly goes astray. The baby may experience cramps that are triggered by nervous excitement.
The child becomes lethargic, inhibited. His functions of the kidneys, heart, and nervous system go astray. Blood circulation is disturbed. Sweat exudes abundantly, the pulse is almost not heard, and the pressure begins to drop. Cough, shortness of breath, and swelling may appear. The liver is greatly increased in size.
If the child is able to engage in dialogue, then his manifestations will be that the consciousness begins to get confused. A teenager can begin to carry nonsense, ceases to navigate in space. Hallucinations occur. Reflexes are weak, muscles begin to twitch involuntarily. The body is weak, there is a headache. The brain begins to swell, cramps occur, the pupils dilate, the child may lose consciousness.
Disease development
Acute purulent destructive pneumonia in children develops rapidly. The child has changes that are hard not to notice. Respiratory function, metabolism and blood circulation are disturbed, symptoms of intoxication increase, pulse drops, polyhypovitaminosis occurs, the heart rate goes astray, oxygen starvation occurs, edema appears.
How exactly the disease develops, and also how quickly, completely depends on the state of the child's body. The most severe form is considered destructive pneumonia in children, which is accompanied by purulent foci.
Complications of the disease
Depending on how quickly the problem was diagnosed, when it was started to be treated and whether it was completely eliminated, it depends on whether complications are formed. They can be completely different. Anemia, sepsis, otitis media, meningitis, pleurisy, renal failure, metabolic problems can occur.
Sometimes other complications of destructive pneumonia in children can occur, which affect the condition of the heart and psyche.
Acute form
The acute form is considered quite severe. Because of it, organs are destroyed. There is a pathology either due to infection in the respiratory tract, or due to the development of septic processes.
During the acute form, the shape of the lungs begins to change, there are problems with the respiratory tract, the mucous membranes swell, and the blood vessels overflow. There are problems with the blood supply to organs and ventilation. As a rule, for the treatment of the child they are referred to pediatric surgery.
Acute destructive pneumonia in children provokes an accumulation of toxins and pathogenic organisms. Because of this, destruction begins. It is at this stage that purulent foci often arise and the disease acquires new momentum. The process of inflammation subsides over time. When conducting the right treatment, there is only one problem - purulent foci.
Forms of purulent destructive pneumonia
There is a pulmonary that ends in an abscess. Purulent lobitis, as a rule, affects the center of the lung. Sometimes an abscess may occur. In those places that were hit, air enters. Because of this, interlayers arise. They collapse over time, exudate accumulates and fills the cavity. This is due to the inflammatory process. The bullous form of purulent acute destructive pneumonia in children is characterized by the presence of air cavities. After some time, they are able to change size and shape.
The way pathology manifests itself is related to how affected the organ is.
Diagnostics
In order to be diagnosed with acute pneumonia, it is necessary to fix changes in the lungs, a violation of their functions. The presence of toxicosis, its degree, breathing problems, leukocytosis, acidosis is taken into account. With x-rays, focal shadows can be seen.
If acute destructive pneumonia in children, the treatment of which must be carried out with caution, develops against the background of another pathology, then the diagnosis is often complicated. Often other methods are used to distinguish between emerging diseases.
Treatment
After the diagnosis is completed, the doctor should analyze the characteristics of the body to identify other chronic diseases, contraindications and allergic reactions. Therapy also depends on the age of the patient. Vitamins, antiviral, restorative, antibacterial and so on may be prescribed.
In addition to drugs, aerotherapy, rehydration is prescribed. During the treatment of destructive pneumonia, children of any age should have a calm day, they are contraindicated in moving a lot and playing sports. It is advisable to observe bed rest. Be sure to follow a diet. Stress and stress should be avoided.
Drug therapy
As a rule, Ribavirin, Reaferon from antiviral drugs are prescribed. From antibacterial preference is given to "Amoksiklav", "Augmentin" and others. The following drugs can also be prescribed intramuscularly: "Lasix", "Glucose", "Plasma", "Daptomycin", "Lasix".
Which drug the doctor chooses depends entirely on the symptoms. Sometimes they can be prescribed additional mucolytics, sedatives, antipyretic drugs. Do not forget that meningitis and pleurisy are a complication of pulmonary destructive pneumonia in children. Because of this, special drugs are often added to avoid the consequences. Therapy should be modern and bring maximum effect. During the year, the patient should be examined regularly, periodically need to be examined. Rehabilitation drags on for a long time.
When treatment is complete, a follow-up examination should be performed. This is the only way to find out whether the work of all internal organs is normal. Intoxication should be eliminated, heart rate and breathing should be normalized. The main thing is that the inflammatory foci completely go away.
Treating problems at home
It is not necessary to resort to pediatric surgery during treatment. Mild pneumonia in children can be cured at home. It is necessary to rid the child of the effects of various external factors. During all procedures, the baby should be relaxed. He should not scream or worry, because with pneumonia the respiratory process is difficult.
The child should be looked after by relatives whom he knows and is not afraid of. Be sure to observe hygiene. The room needs to be quartzed about 5 times in 24 hours. A pillow should be placed under the child’s head. Sometimes the temperature may rise. Because of this, you should maintain the temperature in the room no more than 20 degrees. If the patient is a newborn, then the thermoregulatory systems in his body work a little differently. In this regard, you should warm the room to 24 degrees.
Food
The child needs to provide a balanced and nutritious diet. It is advisable to divide the meal several times so that the digestive system works stably. If we are talking about newborns, it is better to express milk. It will be difficult for the baby to suckle. In the case when the baby is breastfed with mixtures, before choosing food, you need to consult a pediatrician. With pneumonia, you need to drink plenty of fluids. And it can be tea, juices, decoctions, compotes, fruit drinks and so on.
Summary
It is not worth it to choose medicines for the treatment of the disease yourself. The specialist should choose the course of therapy depending on the symptoms and severity of the pathology. If the child's condition does not improve in the first 72 hours, then you must definitely call an ambulance. If the therapy is successful, then its results will not be long in coming. When a cold occurs, it is necessary to additionally use drops or sprays. You can do a rinse with a disinfectant.
When pneumonia passes and the course of treatment comes to an end, it is necessary to do an examination and periodically see a doctor. This is due to the fact that relapses are not uncommon. Because of this child needs to be protected. In the case of repeated inflammation, as a rule, the symptoms are much more severe, and the course of the disease accelerates several times.
Do not forget that pneumonia is a serious illness that causes death. Therefore, treatment should not be neglected in any case.