Bacterial pneumonia

Question 1

What is Streptococcus pneumoniae(pneumococcus)

Answer 1

Accounts for 80% of cases. Particularly associated with high fever, rapid onset and herpes labialis A vaccine to pneumococcus is available

Question 2

What pneumonia is common in COPD patients?

Answer 2

Haemophilus influenzae

Question 3

What kind of pneumonia is Legionella pneumophila and where is it seen?

Answer 3

atypical pneumonias - seen secondary to infected air conditioning units

Question 4

What pneumonia is common in alcoholics?

Answer 4

Klebsiella pneumoniae

Question 5

What increases risk of developing pneumonia

Answer 5

• Hospital admission
• AC, hot tubs etc
• Alcoholism

Question 6

What are some of the S&S of pneumonia?

Answer 6

Symptoms

• cough
• sputum
• dyspnoea
• chest pain: may be pleuritic
• fever

Signs

• signs of systemic inflammatory response
  
  • fever
  • tachycardia
• reduced oxygen saturations
• auscultation:
  
  • reduced breath sounds
  • bronchial breathing

Question 7

How ould you investigate pneumonia?

Answer 7

1. CXR - will see consolidation
2. Bloods
   - FBC - neutrophilia in bacterial pneumonia
   - urea and electrolyte - check for dehydration and other signs of atypical pneumonia
3. CRP - raised when have an infection
4. Arterial blood gas - seeing if patient has low oxygen levels