Pneumonia Flashcards
What are the main classifications/types of pneumonia?
- atypical
- community-acquired
- hospital-acquired
- aspiration
- pneumocystitis jirovecii
Define pneumonia
A lower resp. tract infection associated w fever, symptoms and signs in the chest, and abnormalities on the CXR
Summarise the epidemiology of pneumonia
incidence = 5-11/1000
age: very young, or old (only 30 % are <60yrs)
Name the clinical symptoms of pneumonia
- fever
- rigors
- malaise
- anorexia
- dyspnoea
- cough
- purulent sputum
- haemopytsis
- pleurtic pain
Name the signs of pneumonia
- pyrexia
- cyanosis
- confusion (in elderly)
- tachypnoea
- tachycardia
- hypotension
- signs of consolidation
- pleural rub
What are the signs of consolidation?
- reduced expansion
- dull percussion
- increased tactile vocal fremitus
- bronchial breathing
What is a pulmonary consolidation?
region of normally compressible lung tissue that has filled with liquid instead of air.
liquid can be pulmonary edema, inflammatory exudate, pus, inhaled water, or blood
Consolidation must be present to diagnose pneumonia: the signs of lobar pneumonia are characteristic and clinically referred to as consolidation
How is the severity of pneumonia assessed?
CURB-65
Confusion
Urea (>7mmol/L)
Resp. rate BP <90/30
65<
What are the primary investigations for ?pneumonia
How is pneumonia managed?
- Abx (non-severe: oral ; severe: IV)
- O2 (keep sats>96%
- Fluids (anorexia, hypotension, shock)
- analgesia (if pleurisy)
- VTE prophylaxis
What is VTE prophylaxis?
venous thromboembolism prophylaxis
= consists of pharmacological & non-pharmacological measures to diminish risk of
- deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- pulmonary embolism (PE).
- Pulmonary embolism remains the largest cause of preventable death in hosp.
Name some drugs used for VTE prophylaxis
- unfractionated heparin (UFH)
- low molecular weight heparin (LMWH)
- fondaparinux (selective anti-Xa inhibitor)
- dabigatran (thrombin inhibitors)
- rivaroxaban, apixaban (anti-Xa inhibitors)
Name some possible complications of pneumonia
Resp
- resp failure (type 1)
- pleural effusion
- empyema
- lung abscess
CVS
- hypotension
- AF
- pericarditis/myocarditis
Systemic
- septicaemia
- jaundice
What are the factors that increase the risk of death?
- comorbidity
- multilobar/bilateral
- PaO2<8kPa
Why might a pt develop hypotension as a complication of pneumonia?
how might this be managed?
possibly due to dehydration + vasoconstriction (due to sepsis)
IV fluids –> central line –> ITU: inotropic support