Pneumonia Flashcards
Determinants of Pneumonia
- Social
- Behavioural
- Biomedical (9)
Social:
- Damp housing
- Lack of immunisations
- Access to healthcare
Behavioural:
-Tobacco use
Biomedical:
- <4 or >75
- Chronic Lung diseases (bronchiectasis, asthma, cystic fibrosis)
- Chronic health conditions (heart failure, diabetes, cancer)
- Low BMI (decrease in muscle mass = less muscle to be used for breathing)
- Low birthweight
- Decrease in breast feeding (staying on breast milk for less than 6 months, reduces immunity levels)
- Chronic Aspiration (breathing in foreign objects eg. inhaling food into airway)
- Congenital (inherited) Lung Malformation
- Primary immunodeficiency (group of disorders affecting capability to fight against infection)
Aetiology of Pneumonia
Bacterial - Normal upper airway agents transmit to lower resp. tract
- Streptococcus Pneumoniae
- Influenza B
- Legionella
Viral - Organisms from upper airway migrates to bronchioles
- Influenza A, B, C
- Rhinovirus
Fungal - Most common in immunosuppressed (weakened immune system) people
-Pneumocystis
Pathophysiology of Pneumonia
-Stages (4) and description
-inflammatory exudate fills alveoli
1) Congestion
- spread of fluid in alveoli
- vascular engorgement (blood/other fluid in alveoli)
- accumulation of fluid in alveoli rich in infective organisms
- Few RBC’s and neutrophils.
- Decrease in surfactant production = more at risk of alveoli closing.
2) Red Hepatization
- Lots of RBC’s, neutrophils and fibrin in alveoli fluid
- no ventilation
3) Grey Hepatization
- Breakdown of RBC’s
- Red –> Grey
4) Resolution
- Usually treated with antibiotics
- Residential macrophages clear exudate (with or without scar tissue formation)
Clinical Features of Pneumonia
- sneezing/runny nose
- productive cough
- sweats and chills
- blue/gray colour
- muscle aches/fatigue
- sore throat
- chest pain
Progression of Pneumonia
- Most often a single event (only happens once)
- Can re-occur if person has the determinants
