A one-time dose of PPSV23 (Pneumovax) is recommended for people 65 and older and for people ages 19 to 64 at higher than average risk of developing serious pneumonia. Vaccination helps protect at risk people from S. Many people find that it takes a few weeks to several weeks to regain the level of energy they had before the pneumonia. Antibiotic treatment for pneumonia usually lasts from 5 to 14 days. How long pneumonia lasts can vary from a few days to a week or longer, depending on how early you start antibiotics and what other medical problems you may have. However, even when no organism can be identified, the pneumonia still can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Identifying the infectious organism can help your doctor to choose the best antibiotic to treat the infection. Samples of your sputum or blood also can be sent to a laboratory to identify the specific cause of your pneumonia. Your doctor may order blood tests to look for an elevation of infection-fighting white blood cells and to make sure your electrolytes and kidney function are normal. The diagnosis of pneumonia most often is confirmed by a chest X-ray. Using a stethoscope, a health care professional can listen through your back for abnormal sounds from the lungs. He or she also will look for confusion and a purplish hue in your lips, fingernails or hands because these symptoms can indicate that you have low levels of oxygen in your blood. During the physical exam, your doctor will check to see if you are breathing rapidly. Your doctor first will ask about your symptoms. In viral pneumonia, a dry cough without sputum is more common. In older patients, fatigue or confusion can be the only or most noticeable symptom. Most types of pneumonia cause fever, cough with sputum (coughed-up mucus), shortness of breath and fatigue. In people with compromised immune systems, the organisms that cause pneumonia are different than those seen in the other types of pneumonia. It is more common in people who have had strokes and have difficulty controlling their swallowing reflexes or people who are unconscious as a result of alcohol or other drug overdose. Also hospitalized patients are often weakened by other illnesses and are less able to fight off the infection.Ī type of pneumonia called aspiration pneumonia develops when chemical irritants and bacteria from the mouth or stomach are inhaled into the lungs. The organisms found in a hospital often become resistant to many antibiotics. These pneumonias tend to be more serious. Health care associated pneumonia refers to pneumonia that develops in a person that is in the hospital now or has recently been in the hospital or a nursing home. The most common bacterial cause of CAP is Streptococcus pneumoniae. The two major categories are community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and health care associated pneumonia (HCAP).Ĭommunity acquired pneumonia refers to pneumonia in a person that has not recently stayed in the hospital or a nursing home. The initial choice of drug(s) is made based on the category of pneumonia you most likely have. There are multiple antibiotics that treat pneumonia. Therefore your doctor will need to treat it with antibiotics. When pneumonia is first diagnosed, there often is no way to be sure if the infection is caused by a virus or bacteria. Almost all cases of pneumonia are caused by viral or bacterial infections.
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