Pneumonia Flashcards
What is pneumonia?
infection of lung tissue causing inflammation of alveolar space
Give two examples of a lower respiratory tract infection?
pneumonia
acute bronchitis
How does pneumonia present?
cough, sputum, shortness of breath, fever, generally unwell, haemoptysis, pleuritic chest pain (worse on inspiration), delerium (acute confusion)
What are the characteristic chest signs on pneumonia?
bronchial breath sounds
focal coarse crackles
dullness to percussion
What are the red flags of sepsis?
raised respiratory rate and heart rate
low oxygen sats and blood pressure
fever
confusion
What is used to assess the severity of pneumonia?
CURB-65 - predicts mortality
confusion
urea
respiratory rate
blood pressure
scored from 0-3
What are the two top causes of bacterial pneumonia?
streptococcus pneumonia
haemophilus influenzae
What is atypical pneumonia and how is it treated?
caused by organisms that cannot be cultured in a normal way or detected by gram stain
penicillin not effective
instead - macrocodes e.g., clarithromycin
fluoroquines e.g., levofloxacin
tetracyclines e.g., doxycycline
Who gets chlamydia psittaci?
parrot owners - contracted from contact with infected birds
How is coxiella burnettti/ Q fever transmitted?
exposure to bodily fluids of animals - farmers likely to catch
What investigation is carried out if CURB is 1 ?
point of care test for CRP level to guide diagnosis and use of antibiotics
What tests need to be carried out once patient has been admitted to hospital?
chest x-ray
FBC - high WBC
renal profile
if severe -
- sputum cultures, urinary antigen tests, blood cultures
How is mild community acquired pneumonia treated?
5 days of oral
- amoxicillin
- doxycycline
- clarithromycin
How is severe pneumonia treated?
IV antibiotics
oxygen
What complications can occur as a result of pneumonia?
sepsis
acute respiratory distress syndrome
pleural effusion
empyema
lung abscess
death
