Pneumonia: Classification, Symptoms, Complications and Diagnosis of Pneumonia

Definition of Pneumonia:

An acute inflammation of lung parenchyma which is resulted from the infection of alveoli and bronchioles.You can also characterize it by by solidification of lung parenchyma.In health articles,it is clinically characterized by fever,cough, dyspepsia and chest pain.

Classification:

There are number of ways to classify pneumonia.

A)Classification based on cause:

1-Bacterial:

80-90% of the pneumonia cases are bacterial in origin.There are a number of bacteria Which are responsible pneumonia.These are;

a)Streptococcus pneumonia (60-75%)

b)Mycoplasma pneumoniae (5-18%)

c)Haemophillus influenza (4-5%)

d)Legionella (2-5%)

e)Chlamydia (2-3%)

f) Staphylococcus aureus (1-5%)

2-Viral:

10-20% pneumonia is because of viruses.These are;

a)Influenza virus (8%)

b) Other viruses (2-8%)

3-Rickettsial:

a)Coxiella burnettii (1% only)

B)Clinical classification:

1-Community acquired pneumonia:

It can be typical or atypical.

Typical:Rapid onset and all the clinical features of the disease are present.

Atypical:onset is slow and clinical features are less or absent.

2-Hospital acquired pneumonia:

This pneumonia develops in patient who has been admitted for more than 48 hours.

C)Classification according to the patients previous health status:

1-Primary pneumonia:

If pneumonia occurs in previously healthy patients.

2-Secondary pneumonia:

This pneumonia occurs in persons who have underlying lungs abnormality that leads to pneumonia.

Clinical features of Pneumonia:

It is one of the short articles on health.

The onset of the disease is sudden and it is marked by;

1-Shaking chills

2-High fever

3-cough-which may be productive or dry in nature,initially watery sputum then thick and may be hemorrhagic which is called "Rusty sputum".

Complications of Pneumonia:

There are certain complications associated with this disease.These are as follows.

1-Access formation:

Here the liquefaction of the alveoli occurs and later on it is replaced by pus.It is usually due to bacteria named Staphylococcus aureus. Access formation is associated with high risk of treatment failure and death.

2-Bacteremia:

This may lead to meningitis and endocarditis and increase the likelihood of death.

3-Pleural problems:

Pleural is the cavity around the lungs.Here acute inflammation occurs that leads to pus formation in the pleural area.

4-Lung fibrosis:

The intra-alveolar exudate is formed which convert lung areas into solid fibrous tissue.

5-Ventilation problems:

No ventilation because alveoli are filled with exudate and perfusion is abnormal.In most of the cases vital capacity of lungs is reduced and respiratory failures occurs.

Diagnosis of the disease:

1-Chest X-ray shows patchy solidification mainly in lower lobes of the lungs.

2-During titration antibodies in the serum rise.

3-By titration analysis cold agglutination occurs in 50% of cases in mycoplasma infections.