Pneumonia is an infectious disease that affects the lungs. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. During the illness, the infection can spread both in both lungs and in one, while the alveoli (air sacs) become inflamed. Due to the inflammatory process, fluid or pus begins to fill them, this causes breathing problems, as the respiratory functions of the lungs are disturbed.
Staphylococcus pneumonia
Such pneumonia is the most common and most often children suffer from it.
Previously, pneumonia was mainly caused by streptococci or pneumococci, and today it is mainly staphylococci. This bacterium is very common. It, being present in the human body, can exist asymptomatically, without causing any disease. But in those cases when the patient’s immune system fails, the infection can cause pathological processes in the body, starting to show its activity. Staphylococcus aureus deserves special attention, since this bacterium is the most unpleasant of all its kind. She, having good resistance to antibiotics, easily and quickly causes inflammation.
More often, staphylococcal pneumonia develops in children younger than 3 years old and in older people over 65 years old. The reason for this is that babies and the elderly are very sensitive to this bacterium. However, all segments of the population are affected by this disease. At risk are those who have weakened immunity and who have any chronic diseases, and those who have relatively recently had respiratory infections.
Characteristic
Thousands of people come to the hospital with this ailment. They reveal pneumonia, which is complicated and progresses. If untimely initiation of treatment, the disease can be fatal. There are cases when the patient recovered, but the disease manifests itself with renewed vigor, which requires immediate hospitalization in a medical facility.
Who is most likely to get pneumonia?
This disease is especially acute in people suffering from chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system. This is due to the fact that the heart and lungs are located next to each other. In those cases, if a person has shortness of breath, arrhythmia, or other problems with heart rhythm, the inflammatory process of the lungs can aggravate the situation and worsen the patient's well-being. Since this disease is mainly affected by elderly people and children, treatment is difficult, especially if complications are already present. This is due to the fact that the immune system is not able to withstand staphylococcus causing pneumonia.
It is easiest to catch an infection from October to May, as bacteria in a given period of time become more active.
Symptoms and causes of staphylococcal pneumonia
The localization of the causative agent of the disease is the mucous membrane of the larynx, and as soon as a person's immunity gives slack, bacteria begin to spread. At first, the ailment can take the form of a common catarrhal disease, which subsequently develops into a more serious disease, for example, in a sore throat. If you do not start treatment in a timely manner and do not find out the causes of the disease, all this can lead to complications and the disease will begin to progress and will soon develop into staphylococcal pneumonia.
Staphylococcus can enter the body by airborne droplets. This can happen due to the fact that a person was for some time in the place of a large number of people. Or, for example, in a hospital where patients are treated for this disease. If a person has low immunity, the chances of getting infected increase significantly.
The main causes of the disease include the following:
- chronic diseases;
- alcohol consumption;
- drug addict;
- epidemic;
- weakened immunity;
- a surgical operation during which complications arose;
- hospital stay for a long time;
- acclimatization;
- diseases caused by viral infections.
While the bacterium is progressing, it produces toxins. These toxins lead to the destruction of the lungs, resulting in the formation of air bubbles that interfere with the normal functioning of the respiratory system. Bubbles have a sufficiently large volume and reach a diameter of up to 10 cm. If the disease progresses for a long time, the resulting bubbles begin to fester, and this leads to an abscess.
Symptoms of staphylococcal pneumonia in adults and children do not differ much from the symptoms of ordinary pneumonia. However, there is a difference. Staphylococcal is manifested by a very high body temperature, which in severe cases can reach forty degrees. This temperature in some cases lasts up to 10 days, and sometimes even more. It is very difficult to bring down with a conventional antipyretic. Most often, the disease begins acutely, and its symptoms appear quickly enough.
Signs of pneumonia
More signs of such pneumonia include:
- fever
- shortness of breath
- chest pains;
- cough;
- when inhaled, pain occurs in the diaphragm;
- the skin becomes sticky and pale;
- lack of appetite;
- temperature jumps;
- pleurisy;
- fluid accumulates in the lungs;
- signs of heart failure appear;
- mental state is disturbed;
- headache;
- blue lips, hands;
- stomach ache;
- when coughing, sputum is yellow or green.
The most dangerous in this case is the development of a purulent-necrotic process. If the treatment was prescribed out of time, then an abscess (tissue decay in the lung) may occur. This complication is the most dangerous, but thanks to modern medicine, the level of treatment and timely diagnosis of this type of complications can be avoided.
Diagnostics
When the first signs of staphylococcal pneumonia appear in adults and children, the lungs should be checked for infection. According to the results of the examination, which includes the study of bacterial seeding, sputum smear, as well as computed tomography and x-ray, the doctor can make a diagnosis. Also, at the first examination by a doctor, labored breathing and wheezing should be noted.
A general blood test can also be added to the studies, which should show an increase in the level of white blood cells. And in the event that the disease is already progressing strongly and an unfavorable prognosis is noted, the level of leukocytes can, on the contrary, be very low. An X-ray will need to be done several times, after a short time interval, which will allow you to see changes in the structure of the respiratory system. Stripes of the lungs can also be seen in the image, in which the liquid will be clearly visible.
As soon as a person discovers at least one of the symptoms of the disease, he should immediately consult a doctor.
Staphylococcal pneumonia treatment
After the doctor has diagnosed pneumonia, it is necessary to immediately undergo a course of treatment therapy. Antibacterial therapy is used to treat the symptoms of staphylococcal pneumonia. Nowadays, very effective and modern drugs are used that perfectly cope with this ailment. Even people with this disease are additionally prescribed drugs to increase immunity. Staphylococcal pneumonia is characterized by certain changes in the lung tissue, which takes on abscessed forms that have large or small abscesses of pyopneumothorax, bullous emphysema can still form, causing melting of the lung tissue and cavity formation. The cavern is a smooth wall, which usually does not contain pus, this is their peculiarity. If a person has a large number of such destructive changes, this can lead to respiratory failure, as a separate part of the lung is turned off from the breathing process, the mediastinum is displaced, and the tidal volume changes.
Pneumonia in a newborn baby
Staphylococcal pneumonia, which develops in the body of a newborn baby, is quite difficult, causing sepsis, which leads to aggravation of symptoms, and antibiotic treatment shows a poor result. In this case, treatment with the use of Tetracycline and Streptomycin will be effective; in certain cases, sulfonamides are also prescribed. Also recommended itself "Mitserin".
At the moment, the joint work of microbiologists, clinicians and specialists from other areas has given significant results in the study of staph bacteria in the development of pneumonia in newborn children.
Types of Antibiotics
The main types of antibiotics that are recommended for the treatment of this type of pneumonia include:
- "Penicillin";
- Ampicillin
- Vancomycin;
- Clindamycin;
- "Cefazolin";
- "Telavancin";
- Gentamicin.
For the treatment of streptococcal endocarditis, Vancomycin, Penicillin and Ampicillin are prescribed.
Surgery
Very rarely there are cases when fluid accumulates in the lungs and must be pumped out. To do this, drain the lungs.
Prevention
After you had to transfer this ailment, you need to look at your lifestyle and, if possible, change something in it. Be sure to pay attention to your body and listen to it. You need to start consuming vitamins that strengthen the immune system. This will allow a person to cope with the bacteria when they enter his body.
Another important component of preventive procedures is food. It is necessary to wash vegetables and fruits very carefully before eating. Warm water or a special liquid for washing products, which can be purchased at any store, is well suited for this. It is best to heat them.
Always dress according to the weather. In the autumn-winter period, clothing should be warm, special attention should be paid to the legs and torso. It is also advisable to stay away from large crowds, as they can be carriers of various kinds of diseases.
If the workplace is also unsafe for human health, it is advisable to change jobs. This is especially true of the work in which you have to be in poorly ventilated and humid rooms for a long time.
But the most important thing is to promptly seek help from a medical institution and not start an infectious disease.