Bronchial pneumonia is a type of pneumonia. Pathogenic microbes and viruses, together with oxygen, enter the organs, affecting even the smallest branches of the bronchial tree. As a result, a pathological process begins in the affected area of the lung.
Disease information
Bronchopneumonia in adults and children can provoke many different bacteria and viruses. As a rule, inflammation is the result of infection of the upper respiratory tract. For example, bronchitis or even acute respiratory viral infections can lead to the occurrence of this pathology. The most common pathogens are bacteria from the genus streptococci, pneumococci, viruses.
Among other things, bronchial pneumonia can also develop as a result of getting pieces of food in the respiratory tract, the penetration of poisonous gases, severe compression of the lungs with a pathological formation, postoperative complications.
Pathological susceptibility
Anyone can get bronchial pneumonia. But there are categories of people at high risk. These include:
- newborns and babies up to 3 years;
- infants with congenital pathologies of the respiratory tract or lungs;
- older people over 60;
- those who already suffer from any lung diseases, for example asthma or bronchitis;
- HIV carriers
- children with birth defects of the immune system;
- patients with heart disease or diabetes;
- those who smoke.
Varieties and forms
According to the international classification of pneumonia, this disease belongs to the category of community-acquired. Pathology is a disease of a mild infectious form, which develops before hospitalization due to exposure to different groups of bacteria.
According to ICD-10, bronchopneumonia is divided into several varieties, depending on the pathogen that provoked its development (international classification of diseases and deaths of 1992):
- streptococcal disease
- pneumonia, a variety of which does not belong to any category;
- bacterial pathology;
- pneumonia of unspecified etiology.
What factors contribute to the development of the disease? There are some of the most common:
- severe hypothermia;
- tobacco smoking;
- staying indoors with air humidifiers and air conditioners;
- vitamin deficiency.
Symptoms of bronchopneumonia
There are clear signs of this disease.
- Fever. For several consecutive days, the patient may experience elevated body temperature in the range of 37.5-39 degrees. She is accompanied by marked weakness, lack of appetite, excessive sweating, chills, poor sleep, pain in the calf of the legs. The presence of fever suggests that the body is fighting the infection in full force. That is why doctors categorically do not recommend using antipyretics when temperatureing the body to 38 degrees.
- Cough. At the initial stage of the disease, it is mostly dry, nasal and very frequent. As bronchopneumonia develops, the symptom intensifies, sputum begins to separate. It has a greenish yellow tint, in some cases with blood streaks.
- Dyspnea. In adults and children, bronchopneumonia also causes such an unpleasant phenomenon. In this case, the patient feels a lack of oxygen, there is frequent, but shallow breathing. In some cases, dyspnea remains even at rest.
- Chest pain. As a rule, it is felt with deep breaths and coughing. This disease is characterized by a pulling, stitching pain, mainly in the part of the affected lung, which usually disappears after coughing.
Features of signs in children
Bronchopneumonia in babies is one of the most common diseases of the respiratory system. Today there are a huge number of different ways in which the disease can be completely defeated. But a lot depends on the timeliness of therapy.
Parents must be sure to know the symptoms of such a dangerous disease in order to seek qualified help on time. It is worth noting that the initial signs of a pathology may make you think that a child has bronchitis. But in fact, at the first signals you should immediately visit a specialist.
Due to the fact that the airways of the babies are very short, and they are still devoid of protective barriers, inflammation can be literally fulminant in nature. Bronchopneumonia is especially dangerous for infants and newborn babies.
Signs such as cough and fever in children can be mild or even completely absent. Often in children, inflammation develops at normal or slightly lowered body temperature. But breathing too loud and noticeable shortness of breath should alert parents.
In order to suspect this particular disease in a baby, it is necessary to pay attention to an excessively prolonged cold or bronchitis, lethargy, poor appetite, rapid breathing and shortness of breath. These are the main symptoms of bronchial pneumonia in children, which are the first to signal a disease.
At a specialist appointment
If at least one of these symptoms occurs, contact a specialist. At the consultation, the doctor will conduct an examination, which should include several stages.
- Body temperature measurement.
- Tapping of the lungs. Manipulation is performed with the fingers over the organs. With bronchopneumonia in adults and children, there is a strong shortening of the sound over the injured area of the lung. But today this technique is considered not sufficiently informative, and it is practically not used in the diagnosis of the disease.
- Listening to the lungs. This procedure is carried out using a phonendoscope or stethoscope. The essence of the technique is to listen to wheezing in the injured area, as well as to identify weak breathing and noise from pleural friction. Manifestations of these pathological sounds depend on the form and stage of the disease, and they can not always be heard.
Diagnosis of the disease
The diagnosis of bronchial pneumonia can be made on the basis of complaints, characteristic of the disease symptomatology and examination. In order to confirm the disease, you should undergo a chest x-ray and pass a few laboratory tests. In some cases, tomography, sputum test, bronchoscopy may also be required.
But radiography is a peculiar “golden” method for diagnosing chronic and acute bronchial pneumonia. This research method is used twice - at the time of diagnosis, as well as after a course of treatment. Using radiography, you can determine the effectiveness of therapy and the further prognosis.
Treatment of bronchial pneumonia
Therapy involves several important steps.
- Special routine. From the first day, the patient is recommended to observe bed rest. It is very important to periodically ventilate and clean the room. As soon as the body temperature returns to normal, it is advisable to arrange walking on the street. You can resume hardening the body only a few weeks after recovery, and return to physical activity after 2 months.
- Special diet. There are no food restrictions. The diet should be balanced, contain a large amount of vitamins and protein. Doctors recommend a fractional, frequent menu. Be sure to drink a lot of fluids: fruit drinks, compotes, herbal teas, mineral water. Only any drink taken should be warm.
- Physiotherapy. Such treatment should begin after normalization of body temperature. A huge benefit will bring a variety of chest massages, deep inhalation with the addition of drugs that facilitate breathing and sputum production.
Drug treatment
The main method of therapy for bronchopneumonia is a course of antibiotics. The doctor should prescribe the drug individually. In this case, it is very important to take into account the type of pathogen, the stage of the disease and the likely risk factors. Antibiotics can be prescribed in the form of injections or tablets. In addition, other drugs are often prescribed to combat the disease:
- antipyretic;
- vitamins;
- expectorant;
- antihistamines.
At advanced stages of the disease, the patient may be prescribed oxygen therapy. Adult treatment can be carried out at home, but the children should be placed in a hospital under the supervision of a specialist. This is due to the fact that the children's body tolerates such diseases worse, complications are possible.
The use of expectorants for removing sputum in adults is also a prerequisite for a speedy recovery. With the help of these medicines, the ciliary epithelium is resumed, due to which the output of mucus is accelerated.
In particular, doctors strongly recommend taking expectorants for removing sputum in adults in case of pneumonia, which is complicated by a strong and unproductive cough. Given the mechanism of action, modern medicines can be:
- stimulating cough;
- thinning sputum.
The most popular drugs belonging to the first category are: "Helomirtol", "Terpincod", "Sinupret". These drugs have a resorptive effect. Composition based on sodium bicarbonate and potassium iodide.
The second group includes: “ACC”, “Lazolvan”, “Codelac”, “Ambrosan”, “Bronkatar”, “Tussin”, “Doctor Mom”, “Bromhexin”.
Treating children
Therapy of bronchial pneumonia in childhood is carried out exclusively under the supervision of a doctor in an inpatient setting. In some cases, the baby is placed in the intensive care unit.
If pneumonia is of a viral nature, then in severe cases of the disease, antiviral drugs can be prescribed to the child.
Children are more prone to dehydration. Particularly high risk in case of fever. That is why it is very important to maintain the baby's water balance is normal. In some cases, it is necessary to force the introduction of fluid into the body using droppers. And to prevent shortness of breath do inhalation with oxygen.