Pneumonia (pneumonia) is a serious infectious disease that affects people of all ages. And children are no exception. IN Lately There is an increase in the number of acute infectious diseases of the respiratory system, and pneumonia is the most dangerous of them. Therefore, parents must understand what pneumonia is, how to recognize this disease, and what to do if it appears in a child.
Description
The danger of the disease is associated with the important role played by the lungs in the human body. After all, the lungs perform the function of delivering oxygen to the tissues of the body and, therefore, damage to such important body can have serious consequences.
Oxygen enters the lungs from the upper respiratory tract during inhalation. In the special vesicles of the lungs - the alveoli - the process of enriching the blood with oxygen occurs. At the same time, it enters the alveoli from the blood carbon dioxide, which is thrown out when exhaling. The inner surface of the lungs has a mucous membrane, the purpose of which is to protect the lungs from negative external influences.
Each lung consists of 10 segments, which are grouped into lobes - in right lung there are three of them, two on the left. For pneumonia infectious process affects the internal structures of the lungs, which significantly complicates the process of breathing and gas exchange. And this can affect other organs, primarily the heart.
Gas exchange does not exhaust the functions of the lungs in the body. They also participate in the following processes:
- regulation of body temperature,
- filtration of harmful substances,
- regulation of the amount of liquids and salts,
- blood purification,
- removal of toxins,
- synthesis and neutralization of proteins and fats.
For infectious diseases gastrointestinal tract, poisoning, injuries and burns, the load on the lungs increases many times, and they may not be able to cope with removing toxins from the body. This can provoke an infectious process in the lungs.
Types of pneumonia
Unlike other respiratory diseases, the proportion of cases with a purely viral etiology is small. In approximately 80% of cases, we are talking about damage to the lungs by various strains of bacteria. In childhood, the bulk of pneumonia is associated with three types of bacteria - pneumococcus, mycoplasma and pulmonary chlamydia. However, other types of bacteria can also become a source of disease.
These include staphylococci, streptococci, Klebsiella, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and some others. Much less often, the lungs suffer from the effects of pathogenic fungi; even less often, pneumonia caused by helminths can occur.
By age groups pathogens are also unevenly distributed. Pneumonia in infants and preschool children is most often caused by pneumococci. In junior school age Children are more often susceptible to mycoplasma pneumonia. Teenagers most often suffer from pneumonia caused by chlamydia.
Based on the size and shape of the area of inflammation, pneumonia is divided into:
- focal,
- segmental,
- drain,
- lobar,
- left-handed,
- right-sided
With focal pneumonia, there are only individual foci of inflammation about 1 cm in size, and with confluent pneumonia, these foci merge together. In segmental pneumonia, one segment of the lungs is affected. With the lobar type of pneumonia, the pathological process covers the entire lobe.
Bacteria in the respiratory tract. Photo: Kateryna Kon
With bronchopneumonia, not only the lung tissue is affected, but also the bronchial mucosa. Usually bronchopneumonia is a consequence of bronchitis.
Less common pure viral pneumonia. The causative agents of this form of the disease can be influenza viruses, parainfluenza, and adenoviruses. Bilateral pneumonia is most often caused by pneumococci and Haemophilus influenzae. Atypical pneumonia in a child is most often caused by mycoplasmas and chlamydia. This type of pneumonia can last longer and is difficult to treat with antibiotics.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is most often caused by staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella.
Features of pneumonia in childhood
Left-sided pneumonia in a child is most often more severe than right-sided pneumonia. This is due to the fact that the lungs have an asymmetrical structure, and the airways on the left side are narrower than on the right. This circumstance makes it difficult to remove mucus and contributes to the establishment of infection.
It is well known that children are more susceptible to pneumonia than adults. There are several reasons for this fact. First of all, young children have quite weak immunity compared to adults. And the second reason is that a child’s respiratory organs are not as developed as those of an adult. In addition, the narrowness of the respiratory passages in children causes mucus to stagnate in them and makes it difficult to remove.
Also, in infants, breathing is usually carried out using movements of the diaphragm, which are influenced by the state of the gastrointestinal tract. Disruption of its functioning, expressed, for example, in bloating, immediately affects the lungs - stagnation occurs in them, leading to an increase in the number of pathogenic microorganisms. Infants also have relatively weak respiratory muscles, which prevent them from coughing up mucus effectively.
Symptoms of pneumonia in a child
How does pneumonia manifest? Symptoms of pneumonia in children of different ages are somewhat different. However, it is worth noting that with all types of pneumonia there is a symptom such as respiratory failure. It is expressed, first of all, in increased breathing during pneumonia, which usually does not happen with infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Normally, the ratio of pulse and respiratory rate is 3 to 1. However, with pneumonia, the ratio can reach 2 to 1 and 1 to 1. That is, if a child’s pulse is 100, then the respiratory rate can be more than 50 breaths per minute. Despite the increased frequency of breathing, it is usually superficial and shallow.
How else can you determine respiratory failure? There are a number of other signs that indicate it, for example, blue discoloration of the skin surfaces, primarily in the area of the nasolabial triangle. Sometimes pale skin may occur.
Secondly, with pneumonia there is another characteristic sign - heat. The level of hyperthermia in pneumonia is usually much higher than in other respiratory diseases and can reach +39-40ºС. However, this symptom may not occur with all types of pneumonia. Signs of atypical pneumonia in a child include a temperature slightly higher than +38ºС. Sometimes such a scenario of the disease can be observed when the temperature in the first days rises to high values, and then decreases. In addition, in children under one year old, due to the imperfection of the immune system, the temperature can also remain within the subfebrile range even with the most severe forms of pneumonia.
Signs of pneumonia in a child include other respiratory symptoms. First of all, it's a cough. As a rule, it can be observed if the infection affects not only the lungs, but also the bronchi, which most often happens in practice, and also if pneumonia is a complication of acute respiratory infections. The cough can be varied, but as a rule, it is not completely dry, but is associated with the discharge of sputum. Or, in the first days of the disease, a dry cough appears, and then it turns into a cough with expectoration of sputum. The variety of manifestations distinguishes bilateral lobar pneumonia. In children, symptoms of this form of the disease include not only a cough, but “rusty” sputum, including red blood cells from damaged small capillaries.
When pneumonia develops in a child, symptoms will include signs of intoxication - headaches, nausea, dizziness. With some types of pneumonia in children, symptoms may include pain in the chest, sometimes in the hypochondrium.
Symptoms of pneumonia in an infant may not be as severe as in older children. Often the symptoms of pneumonia in infants include only a cough (in some cases it may not be present). Therefore, recognizing the disease before the age of one year is difficult. You should pay attention to indirect symptoms - low muscle tone, lethargy, breast refusal, anxiety, frequent regurgitation.
Causes
Based on the causes of occurrence, pneumonia is divided into primary and secondary. Primary pneumonia includes cases of disease that arise directly from infection with pathogens. Secondary pneumonia includes cases of the disease that are complications of other respiratory diseases - ARVI, influenza, sore throat, etc.
In most cases we are talking about secondary diseases. It should be noted that viral respiratory diseases very often provoke the occurrence of pneumonia and prepare the ground for them by weakening the immune system and reducing the protective properties of the bactericidal sputum formed in the lungs.
Quite rarely, pneumonia is transmitted from person to person by air. by drip. As a rule, the causative agents of the disease already live in the body, long before it begins, and are simply waiting in the wings to begin their attack on the lungs. A trigger that can provoke the activation of pathogenic microflora can be an infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract, influenza, weakened immunity, for example, as a result of hypothermia.
A special group of cases of pneumonia includes the so-called. They occur in hospitals when patients are being treated for other diseases. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is caused by special, hospital-acquired strains of bacteria that are highly resistant to traditional antibiotics.
Thus, pneumonia can also be caused by congestion in the lungs associated with long-term bed rest. In young children, congestion in the lungs can also be caused by intestinal infectious diseases, in which bloating appears and normal ventilation of the lungs is disrupted. Also, the occurrence of pneumonia can be facilitated by frequent regurgitation of food by a child, during which vomit containing intestinal pathogenic microorganisms can partially enter the lungs.
If pneumonia occurs in newborns, then there can be two main reasons for this - either the child became infected directly in the maternity hospital, or was infected already in the womb.
Other factors contributing to the disease:
- avitaminosis,
- unhealthy diet
- passive smoking of others.
Diagnostics
Acute pneumonia in a child can only be diagnosed by a doctor. At the first signs of pneumonia in a child, you should call a therapist. An experienced doctor can determine the source of inflammation by listening to noises and wheezing in the lungs and tapping the chest. Other diagnostic signs are also used to recognize the disease: respiratory failure, the nature of hyperthermia, damage to the upper respiratory tract.
However, in order to unambiguously make a diagnosis and determine the location of the source of the disease, radiography is required in most cases. The x-ray image clearly shows the extent of lung damage and the area of distribution of the pathological process. It is this sign that is most important in diagnosis.
However, x-rays do not always allow one to determine the causative agent of the disease. But the treatment strategy largely depends on this information. For this purpose, bacteriological analyzes are used - the isolation of antibodies to the pathogen or the pathogens themselves from the blood and droplets of sputum. True, it is not always possible to unambiguously determine the pathogen, since sputum may contain several potentially pathogenic microorganisms at once. In addition, the violation leukocyte formula, increase ESR level(20 mm/h or more), decreased hemoglobin. However, a significant increase in the number of leukocytes does not accompany all types of pneumonia. The maximum increase in the number of leukocytes is observed during chlamydial infections (30,000 per μl).
Forecast
In most cases of pneumonia in children, provided timely consultation with a doctor, the prognosis is favorable. Serious danger Pneumonia in newborns and infants, especially premature infants, is a life-threatening condition. Also dangerous for their severe complications are pneumonia caused by staphylococci and streptococci, as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In most cases, with proper treatment, the likelihood of complications is low.
Complications
Pneumonia in a child aged 2 years can take severe forms and spread to other organs.
Among the most common complications are lung abscess, destruction lung tissue, pleurisy, air entering the pleura area.
Complications of pneumonia in children that affect other organs:
- heart failure,
- and septic shock
- meningitis,
- myocarditis,
- endocarditis,
- pericarditis,
- blood clotting disorder.
Treatment
Treatment of acute pneumonia in a child can be carried out both in a hospital and at home. The choice of one or another option is made by the doctor, based on the following factors:
- child's age,
- patient status,
- suspected type of disease
- the ability of parents to provide adequate care for the child,
- presence of smokers in the family.
If not cured acute pneumonia, then it can become chronic, lasting up to six months.
Treatment of bacterial pneumonia in a child is carried out mainly with antibiotics. Of course, during the first examination, the doctor often does not have the opportunity to accurately determine the type of pathogen. Therefore, antibiotics are prescribed first general action or the antibiotic is selected based on rough guesses. Subsequently, as diagnostic data accumulates, this assignment can either be canceled or confirmed. The effectiveness of the antibiotic is assessed in the first days after prescription, usually after 2-3 days. How can you tell if the drug has worked? If, while taking it, the patient’s condition improves - a decrease in temperature, a weakening of symptoms indicating pulmonary insufficiency, That drug therapy this drug continues. If there is no improvement, then another drug is used. By this time, the doctor may already have information about the nature of the infection that can help him make the right choice.
Universal vaccinations against pneumonia this moment does not exist, but you can get vaccinated against some pneumonia pathogens, for example, pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae. These vaccinations are not mandatory and are carried out at the request of the parents.
The tendency to pneumonia in childhood is a reason for an in-depth examination and identification of the causes of the situation. It is quite possible that the child has hereditary pathologies of the lungs and bronchi and chronic diseases, such as mucoviscidosis. This condition requires constant monitoring and treatment.
Many smokers, especially long-term smokers, complain of a prolonged cough and some soreness in the chest. Often, in this way, the body signals that problems with the lungs have begun. What should you do if your breathing system suddenly begins to malfunction? Of course, the first thing a person does is undergo examinations using fluorography and subsequent mucus sampling for detailed analysis.
How to check the lungs, besides fluorography, what other diagnostic methods exist? Can this be done at home and what symptoms should I pay attention to? Everyone should know such nuances, not just heavy smokers. After all, many pathologies bronchopulmonary system It is better to notice in time and begin treatment than to allow the development of irreversible processes.
You should definitely monitor the condition of your lungs, and you can check their well-being at home
Plan laboratory examinations is developed taking into account the patient’s complaints and manifested symptoms. A competent medical approach allows you to identify dangerous diseases in time, doing this with minimal discomfort for the person.
According to statistics, pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system account for about 40-50% of all modern diseases. The most common pathology is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
The structure of the respiratory system
Most often, these disorders affect young people aged 20-40 years. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor your own health and treat identified diseases in a timely manner, even if it is slight cold. Doctors, considering the main causes of bronchopulmonary diseases, include the following factors as the most common culprits in their development:
- Passion for smoking.
- Poor living conditions.
- Hereditary pathologies.
- Occupational diseases.
So, how to check the bronchi and lungs using medical methods? Instrumental diagnostics includes quite a few methods. The doctor decides which one to use based on general condition patient and symptom characteristics.
Radiography
This method of examining the lungs is indicated for almost any person. The examination using an X-ray machine is carried out in two areas: lateral and direct. This method The study helps the doctor not only clarify the possible disease, but also use the results of the examination in differential diagnosis.
The essence of chest radiography
But radiography has a number of contraindications. This method of studying lung health cannot be carried out in the case of:
- severe liver and kidney diseases;
- complicated condition of the patient;
- allergies to the contrast agent used;
- serious pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
Tomography
By using this survey the physician receives a detailed (layer-by-layer) picture of the structure of tissues and organs human body. By examining an image consisting of many sections, the doctor can more accurately determine the health status of the organ being examined (in in this case lungs). Tomography is often used to identify various areas of opacities identified on x-rays.
Tomography allows you to study layer-by-layer images of human lungs
CT (computed tomography)
This method of studying the lungs is carried out using x-rays with the connection of highly complex computer processing. The result is a high-quality image with an increased degree of resolution and clarity. Using this technique, you can check the lungs for cancer and identify any other type of disorder.. A physician, studying CT images, can determine:
- whether other organs are affected;
- how the pathological process spread;
- existing additional pathogenic processes.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
This method instrumental diagnostics based on activity measurement atomic nuclei after irritating them with electromagnetic waves. MRI is not performed on patients who have various metal implantations or devices implanted in the body, such as:
- pacemakers;
- Illizarova devices;
- installed middle ear prostheses;
- fragments remaining in the body after injuries;
- implants (electronic or ferromagnetic).
The MRI method allows you to more accurately diagnose pathological changes in the body
Also, MRI is not performed on pregnant women in the first trimester or if the person suffers from claustrophobia. This type of examination is contraindicated in case of mental disorders or in serious condition sick. Using MRI, the type of neoplasm detected, the degree of its development are clarified, and various pathologies are identified in the early stages development
Angiography
This is an X-ray examination of the vessels of the bronchopulmonary system. The examination is carried out after preliminary injection of a special contrast agent into the blood. This method is intended to further clarify possible oncological processes. The method also allows:
- diagnose vascular aneurysms;
- detect thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery.
The essence of angiography technique
Contraindications for angiography include the same prohibitions as for x-rays. Possible intolerance to the contrast agent used is also taken into account.
Bronchography
This technique is in many ways similar to x-ray examination. With its help, possible pathologies of the bronchopulmonary tree are identified. Bronchography allows you to determine various diseases bronchi, identify cavities formed after lung abscesses, determine the degree of expansion of the bronchial walls.
What is brochnography used for?
Bronchography is the least informative diagnostic method and is used quite rarely in modern medicine.
Tracheobronchoscopy
The examination is carried out using a special device consisting of a long flexible hose and a cable with a backlight function (often this device has photo and video functions). The doctor gets the opportunity to directly examine the condition of the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi and assess the health of the organs.
Using manipulators built into the end of the tube, during the examination you can remove a sample for biopsy or remove any that have entered the respiratory tract. foreign bodies. During the event, the patient may notice some unpleasant sensations:
- nasal congestion;
- numbness of the oral mucosa;
- difficulty swallowing;
- sensation of a lump in the larynx.
Bronchoscopy also allows for the collection of biomaterial
The culprit of such short-term troubles is anesthesia (the examination is carried out under anesthesia). All negative symptoms pass very quickly, within 50-60 minutes. But this procedure has a number of strict contraindications, in particular:
- hypertension;
- heart problems;
- vascular insufficiency;
- mental illnesses;
- suffered a stroke or heart attack;
- bronchial asthma in the relapse stage;
- allergy to the anesthetic used.
One of the varieties of this examination is fluorescent laser bronchoscopy. It is carried out if a person is suspected of having cancer. The method is based on ability malignant tumors actively absorb photomaterial.
Checking your lungs at home
As already mentioned, one of the most common dangerous diseases of the bronchopulmonary system is COPD. This disease is a kind of chronic mix of obstructive bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema.
The main cause of COPD is long-term smoking. The result of the disease is the inability of the lungs to absorb oxygen, which can lead to the death of the patient.
This disease is extremely dangerous due to its hidden development, especially in the first stages of the disease. But a fatal pathology that affects a smoker’s lungs can be identified in a timely manner and treatment can begin immediately. And you can do this at home using several methods.
COPD is the most common lung pathology in smokers
Checking your lung capacity
There are some signs the presence of which makes a person wonder if everything is okay with the lungs. These exercises should be performed regularly, especially for smokers. This will allow you to suspect problems as soon as they appear. So, how can you check your lung capacity and its health?
- Hold your breath, if you can hold your exhalation for 1-1.5 minutes, this is the norm for a healthy person.
- Take candles that are stuck into the birthday cake according to the age. A person with healthy lungs will be able to blow them out in one go, blowing at a distance of about 70-80 cm.
- Take in as much air as possible and inflate a regular balloon. In this case, it should be inflated with one exhalation. The resulting size of the ball indicates the volume of the lungs. Normally, healthy lungs have a volume of 3.5 liters.
When to be wary
The very first sign of an impending disease is shortness of breath. Unfortunately, most smokers do not pay attention to the alarm bell, attributing difficulty breathing to age, fatigue, and the environment. But the problem with COPD is that it is impossible to completely cure the disease once it develops.. The disease can only be delayed, slowed down.
What happens to the lungs with COPD
When a smoker does not pay attention to the constant shortness of breath that develops even when walking calmly, the person’s chances of maintaining healthy lung tissue rapidly decrease.
Therefore, it is extremely important to be able to understand in time that problems are beginning with your own lungs. And the first sign is shortness of breath. Try experimenting, for example, make a few physical exercise, go up/down the stairs and then try to take a full breath.
Stay tuned for changes. If you feel unable to breathe deeply, you should conduct a comprehensive examination of the pulmonary structure.
Alarming symptoms
As the fatal pathology develops, the patient also experiences a number of other signs. Many of them appear in healthy people, but in combination with smoking they become pathological manifestations.
Cough
Periodically clear the throat even completely healthy people. But too frequent coughing is one of the signs of COPD. Coughing leads to a constant inflammatory process in the bronchioles and alveoli, as a result of which they lose their elasticity. Over time, their walls noticeably thicken and produce more mucus, clogging the gaps.
In COPD, there is often a cough with sputum production without any other symptoms. If the coughing up mucus loses transparency, the patient’s condition begins to rapidly deteriorate.
Morning migraine
A very alarming bell is the appearance of an acute throbbing headache in the morning. It occurs literally as soon as a person gets out of bed. This syndrome is explained simply: when the patient is for a long time in a horizontal position and breathes shallowly, the body accumulates carbon dioxide, which leads to dilation of the blood vessels in the brain, which causes severe pain.
Often migraines are not related to what is happening pathological changes bronchopulmonary system. They are treated as a separate symptomatic symptom. To get rid of severe morning migraines, you need to get rid of their main culprit - lack of oxygen.
Swelling of the ankle area
If the bronchopulmonary structure is damaged and there is no adequate treatment, heart failure develops, because circulatory system also suffers from lack of oxygen. The sad result is fluid retention in the body. Which leads to the appearance of edema of the lower extremities (in the area of the ankles and feet).
With the development of lung pathology, the heart reduces the effort with which it pushes out blood. Which has the most negative effect on the functioning of the kidneys and liver. As a result, an accumulation of toxic toxins and waste occurs in the human body, which leads to intoxication of the entire body.
Problems with night rest
When a person is in a horizontal position, it becomes more difficult for the affected lungs to work, which negatively affects the quality of sleep. Patients often wake up due to coughing attacks, getting out of bed, they feel severe dizziness and headaches. In this case, you should immediately pay attention to the health of the pulmonary organs and undergo an examination.
Ideally, for your lungs to return to full normalcy, you should completely forget about the habit of smoking. But the condition of the lungs should be monitored in any case. And at the slightest suspicion of an emerging pathology, immediately consult a doctor.
The severity of symptoms of pneumonia in children is determined by the age of the child and the type of pathogen. The causes of pneumonia in children are more often the bacteria Streptococcus pneumonia, beta-hemolytic streptococcus, as well as staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a number of atypical and rare infections.
In most cases, pneumonia in children occurs due to infection with streptococci and staphylococci. At home, parents can determine pneumonia in a child by signs such as a persistent increase in temperature exceeding 38 0 C for 3 days or more.
At high temperatures, symptoms of intoxication develop:
- no appetite;
- sleep is disturbed;
- apathy or, on the contrary, agitation develops;
- coldness of the extremities, pallor, and marbled skin pattern are noted;
- tachycardia appears;
- muscle tone decreases;
- At high temperatures, convulsions are possible.
In early childhood, with pneumonia, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle may be observed, intestinal disorder. At severe course vomiting is noted.
Pneumonia in a child can be detected by symptoms such as cough. This sign is diagnostic and is noted in most cases. Mostly a wet cough is detected, while about 20% have a dry cough.
One of the first signs of pneumonia in children is shortness of breath. Breathing with shortness of breath takes on a “moaning” character. At the beginning of exhalation, a “groaning” sound follows, and the breathing rate reaches 100 breaths per minute.
In an uncomplicated form of inflammation, there is no retraction of soft tissues during breathing - the subclavian, jugular fossa. Retraction of the compliant areas of the chest is observed with increasing respiratory failure.
As shortness of breath increases, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle increases - the bluish tint of the skin around the mouth does not go away even with inhalation of oxygen.
Pneumonia does not always cause wheezing in the lungs. Fine bubbling rales are detected only in 50% of cases. More typical hard breathing on exhalation and changes in the blood count - leukocytosis, an increase in the number of neutrophils, an increase in ESR.
Focal form
Pneumonia often develops as a result of acute respiratory viral infections or influenza. The disease can develop suddenly, but often it develops gradually, with increasing signs of intoxication.
Distinctive features of slow developing inflammation lungs on the background respiratory infection serves as an increase in heart rate, which does not correspond to the degree of temperature increase.
From external signs pneumonia in children has the same symptoms as those observed in a child with ARVI - headache, anxiety, coated tongue. The development of pneumonia is accompanied by a subsidence of a runny nose, throat irritation and an increase in shortness of breath.
Croupous form
Severe lobar pneumonia is more typical for childhood after 3 years and schoolchildren. The focus of inflammation is most often localized in the upper or lower segment of the right lung.
The croupous form of the disease develops along an infectious-allergic path and occurs when the body is already sensitized by pneumococci.
The disease is not preceded by an acute respiratory viral infection; sometimes the disease occurs quite suddenly against the background of health.
Symptoms of lobar pneumonia:
- fever 39-40 0 C;
- headache;
- confusion;
- wet cough with reddish sputum;
- chest pain;
- shortness of breath, worsening with rising temperature;
- rapid pulse;
- pale skin, but with blush on the cheeks;
- sparkle of eyes;
- dry lips.
The croupous form is characterized by the involvement of lymph nodes in inflammation. In the first hours of the illness, difficulty breathing, a painful cough with the discharge of scanty glassy sputum appear.
The pain when coughing becomes excruciating; when you try to take a deeper breath, sharp pain in the side on the side of the injury. Wheezing in the lungs appears by the 2-3rd day of illness.
Extrapulmonary symptoms include:
- cardiac disorders manifested by changes on the ECG;
- decreased tone of blood vessels;
- insomnia;
- slight enlargement of the liver, pain in the right side;
- kidney disorder - the appearance of protein in urine, red blood cells;
- changes in the blood - an increase in leukocytes, neutrophils, ESR, a decrease in oxygen concentration, an increase in CO 2 concentration.
The use of antibiotics in the treatment facilitates the course of lobar pneumonia in children and alleviates the severity of symptoms.
Symptoms depending on the pathogen
Depending on the pathogen, pneumonia occurs differently. The differences relate to the nature of symptoms, severity of the disease, and prognosis.
Streptococcus pneumonia
The most common form of pneumonia occurs is pneumococcal pneumonia (up to 80% of cases). In older age, lobar pneumonia develops predominantly without a previous cold with acute pain in the side, fever, cough.
In a child under 3 years of age, signs of focal pneumococcal pneumonia are more often observed, developing against the background of a respiratory infection, with a gradual increase in symptoms.
The disease is well treated with antibiotics and does not cause severe complications if treatment is started in a timely manner.
Streptococcus beta hemolytic
Pneumonia caused by infection with beta-hemolytic streptococcus is characterized by a protracted course, involvement lymphatic vessels, pronounced symptoms of intoxication.
The onset of the disease can be rapid or gradual, accompanied by symptoms similar to,.
The diagnosis of focal streptococcal hemolytic pneumonia is often confirmed only by radiography.
The prognosis for streptococcal pneumonia is complex, depending on the severity of symptoms and the nature of the course; recovery may require up to 2 months with repeated courses of antibiotic treatment. In case of complications, the mortality rate from beta-hemolytic pneumonia in children reaches 50%.
Staphylococcus
Staphylococcal pneumonia is severe, accompanied by complications, and characterized by a high mortality rate in children under one year of age and the first year of life.
The disease begins after a respiratory illness in children with pustules on the skin caused by a staphylococcal infection.
The source of infection for staphylococcal pneumonia in one month old baby and a child 1 year of age are served by adults.
In addition to general signs, the staphylococcal form of inflammation is characterized by symptoms:
- refusal to eat;
- increase in the size of the liver and spleen;
- diarrhea;
- lethargy, anemia;
- vomiting, regurgitation.
Pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus. In addition to pneumonia, staphylococci cause pustular skin lesions and conjunctivitis in children.
Haemophilus influenza
Symptoms of pneumonia in children under 3 years of age can be caused by infection with Haemophilus influenza; treatment is difficult due to delays in seeking medical attention and the difficulty of diagnosis. This microorganism is common in children and in 50% of children it is part of normal microflora without causing disease.
When immunity is weakened, Haemophilus influenza is activated, causing laryngitis, tracheitis, otitis, and pneumonia (often bilateral).
The disease can also develop exogenously - through infection by airborne droplets.
Symptoms of pneumonia in children under 3-5 years of age are:
- heat;
- concomitant disease - epiglottitis, bronchitis;
- changes in the blood count - a moderate increase in the concentration of leukocytes, ESR.
Klebsiella pneumonia
Pneumonia caused by Klebsiella pneumonia develops more often as a nosocomial infection. Klebsiella in pneumonia in a child, in addition to the respiratory tract, affects organs such as the intestines, bladder, which manifests itself in children in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, and enteritis.
Lung infection with Klebsiella is accompanied by copious discharge mucus that accumulates in the pulmonary alveoli, impairing respiratory function.
The baby has a high temperature, pronounced signs of intoxication of the body, and a peculiar, unusual odor emanates from the body.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeroginosa - Pseudomonas aeruginosa, refers to nosocomial infections. The bacterium enters the bloodstream during burns, injuries, and through infected respirators. The condition for the occurrence of pneumonia is reduced immunity.
The disease is accompanied by symptoms such as lethargy, convulsions, cough with purulent sputum, low-grade fever or even normal temperature throughout the entire period of illness.
Pneumocystis pneumonia
The disease is caused by yeast-like fungi Pneumocystae carinii. Pneumonia occurs as nosocomial infection, the signs appear more strongly in children under one year old and in premature infants.
Inflammation of the lungs, provoked by pneumocystis, is characterized by severe shortness of breath, cyanosis (blue tint of the skin) of the nasolabial triangle, and foamy discharge when coughing.
In adolescents and adults it can develop with long-term treatment hormonal drugs, antibiotics, cytostatics.
Find out how pneumonia is transmitted, who can become infected with pneumonia in our country.
Mycoplasma pneumonia
Pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumonia develops in children at any age and is accompanied by a runny nose, cough (usually dry), and a rise in temperature by the 6th day of illness.
The disease is protracted; after the acute symptoms subside, low-grade fever persists for a long time.
The main symptom of the mycoplasma form of pneumonia is a debilitating dry cough that lasts more than 3 weeks. The prognosis of the disease is favorable.
Legionella pneumophilia
Signs of Legionella pneumonia are high temperature reaching 40 0 C, dry cough, chills. The disease is accompanied by signs of neurological disorders - mental disorder with impaired consciousness, muscle pain.
Blood and urine tests reveal a slight increase in white blood cells, a decrease in sodium concentration, and the appearance of red blood cells in the urine. The disease is characterized by enlarged lymph nodes, slowing of the pulse (bradycardia), and the absence of inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx - runny nose, pharyngitis.
Chlamydia pneumonia
Chlamydial pneumonia, caused by Chlamydia pneumonia, occurs more often in children over 5 years of age; its signs are:
- hoarseness of voice;
- pharyngitis;
- temperature;
- enlarged The lymph nodes in the neck area;
- wheezing in the lungs a week after the onset of the disease.
Newborns become infected with Chlamydia trachomatis from their mother during childbirth. Signs of chlamydial pneumonia in a child under 1 year of age are the absence of fever, signs of intoxication, but persistence of a persistent dry cough. Without antibiotic treatment chlamydial form pneumonia in newborns is protracted and causes relapses.
Pneumonia is a pathological process in the tissue of these organs caused by infection. The ability to cure a disease without consequences increases thanks to modern methods diagnostics, a wide selection of antibiotics. In order to detect the disease in a timely manner, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with typical symptoms pneumonia, if detected, begin treatment.
Pneumonia - dangerous pathology, for a complete cure, it is necessary to apply a set of measures after the first symptoms appear. If the lung tissue suffers from the action, the functioning of the entire respiratory system is disrupted. The main symptom of the typical form of the disease is the implementation respiratory function not in full. The cells receive insufficient oxygen, which negatively affects the general condition of the patient. Visually, you can notice the appearance of severe weakness, fatigue. The child is practically not interested in things that were of value to him before. Drowsiness appears.
Infectious agents
The following infectious agents can affect the occurrence of pneumonia:
- Bacteria. Inflammation of the lung tissue is caused by staphylococcus, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae or Escherichia coli.
- Viruses.
- Fungal.
- Chlamydia, mycoplasma.
- Helminths. If a child fell ill with pneumonia at the age of 2 years, it is possible that the occurrence of the pathological process was influenced by larvae. If roundworms are present in the body, the larvae can spread through the pulmonary circulation, reaching the lung tissue.
Deterioration of the immune response
The child’s immunity improves slowly, especially Negative influence cause bacterial infections. If a child at the age of 2 begins to attend any clubs, he is sent to kindergarten, the likelihood of occurrence increases dangerous disease, including pneumonia. If your child suffers from frequent runny noses that turn into sinusitis, or has a sore throat several times a year, it is possible that his body will not be able to cope with even a simple infection.
Deterioration of local immunity
The condition of the nasal mucosa affects the ability to clean the air from pathogenic bacteria. When air enters the nasal cavity, it is cleared of negative impurities, in particular, dangerous microorganisms. If for any reason the standard structure of the mucous membrane is disrupted, a runny nose occurs, due to which a person cannot breathe through the nose, bacteria and viruses quickly penetrate below. An inflammatory process may occur in tissues respiratory organs. Pharyngitis and bronchitis develop, and pneumonia is possible.
On a note! It is necessary to promptly pay attention to protracted pharyngitis, carry out competent treatment to eliminate the likelihood of dangerous complications.
Physiological reasons
In most cases, children aged 2 years have anatomical features which may affect the occurrence of pneumonia.
Risk factors:
- Insufficient airway patency, which affects the rapid increase in the number of infections and the emergence of difficulties in relieving the symptoms of the disease.
- Slow ventilation of the lungs, which is caused by insufficient development bone tissue ribs
- Not fully developed respiratory system, which increases the risk of atelectasis, which provokes the preparation of an optimal environment for the proliferation of dangerous microorganisms.
- Constantly keeping a child in a lying position poses a risk of congestion.
Signs of illness
Main symptoms:
| Violation | Peculiarities |
|---|---|
| General restlessness, sleep pathologies | Parents immediately notice a child’s poor appetite; causeless whims may appear even in calm children |
| Constantly increasing nasal congestion | Difficulty breathing |
| Cough | At the first stage of the disease this symptom may be missing |
| Increased body temperature | This phenomenon is not always observed. It is necessary to be attentive to the child’s condition in order to promptly identify the disease, even if it is not accompanied by an increase in temperature |
| Apnea | Often, with pneumonia in children over two years of age, breathing stops are observed, which last for several minutes. This deviation can affect the baby’s behavior and cause psychological disorders. |
| Change in skin tone in the area of the nasolabial triangle | During this process, the wings of the nose and corners of the mouth may turn pale, sometimes these areas become bluish |
| Stool pathologies | Possible constipation as a result of dehydration, as well as diarrhea if the infection has spread not only to the lung tissue, but also to the gastrointestinal tract |
Characteristic symptoms of pneumonia
When a child reaches the age of 2 years, a significant improvement in the body’s protective functions is observed. At the same time, the likelihood of developing bacterial infection, entailing serious problems with health. Often children suffer from pleurisy, accompanied by the release of exudate. In some cases, pneumonia does not occur as the only disease, but occurs along with pharyngitis and severe sore throat. If a serious allergic reaction develops due to taking a large number of antibiotics, the lumen in the bronchi may narrow.
The first symptoms of pneumonia:
- Deterioration of the general condition of the body.
- Signs of severe intoxication without other symptoms of poisoning.
- If the temperature rises, this indicator does not decrease. You need to worry if such a deviation lasts for 3 days.
- When breathing, the intercostal muscles are activated, which is why they are often pulled inward over the affected area.
- Cyanosis occurring in the area of the nasolabial triangle. This deviation can manifest itself in a calm state of the baby, but most often intensifies during crying or emotional stress.
On a note! Typically, pneumonia develops at the age of two due to the action of bacteria. The body at this age is less susceptible to viruses, however the immune system not yet sufficiently adapted to fight bacteria. When listening, hard breathing is diagnosed, the doctor notes moist rales.
As the disease worsens, severe shortness of breath occurs. This deviation develops quite quickly, since organs and cells receive insufficient amounts of oxygen. Signs of pneumonia are often associated with a respiratory viral infection. Parents first of all pay attention to an increasing runny nose, cough, and increased body temperature. At this age, inflammation of one lung or its lobe most often appears.
Pneumonia can occur unexpectedly or after severe viral infection. You should pay attention to a severe cough that cannot be stopped with standard medicines. If you notice this symptom, you need to contact a specialist as soon as possible. In some cases, when pneumonia develops, the cough worsens at night. The child's general condition worsens, activity slows down. At the same time, the baby may show severe anxiety, especially if negative symptoms worsen.
It is worth paying attention to poor appetite. For pneumonia, one of the characteristic symptoms is pallor of the skin, an increase in respiratory rate up to 40 times per minute. It should be taken into account the presence of a large number of cases of pneumonia without strong increase temperature, in conditions of an erased clinical picture.
On a note! It is necessary to assess the child’s condition, paying attention to specific indicators, in particular temperature.
Dangerous forms of pneumonia
The latent form of pneumonia is characterized by mild symptoms. It is the most dangerous species diseases. It is necessary to carefully monitor the child's behavior. With pneumonia, his condition worsens significantly; usually parents notice whims and crying, but no cough or runny nose occurs.
A latent form of pneumonia can appear when immunity deteriorates. The risk of this disease increases if parents do not monitor the dosage and frequency of taking medications. These drugs negatively affect human immunity and are especially dangerous at an early age. Antibiotics often provide negative impact together with antitussive drugs, since as a result of blocking the process that regulates the release of sputum along with mucus, the risk of infection and spread of infection increases. Children who suffer from immunodeficiency from birth have an increased risk of pneumonia.
On a note! Atypical pneumonia is caused by chlamydia and mycoplasma. Possible emergence of strong structural changes in lung tissue, while general signs do not reflect the symptomatic picture.
Main features atypical shape pneumonia:
- Severe intoxication that does not go away for no apparent reason.
- Headache.
- Unpleasant sensations in the muscles.
- Hyperhidrosis.
- Increased body temperature (this symptom may be absent).
- The amount of food consumed per day is significantly reduced. The child may completely refuse to eat.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
With atypical pneumonia, the disease can be detected by retraction of the skin in the area of the inflamed area when breathing. If pneumonia occurs as a result of mycoplasma activity on the skin, a polymorphic rash may form. It is possible that the spleen and liver may increase in size, which is most often noted only at a doctor’s appointment. Pneumonia often occurs with an erased symptomatic picture, which is why people confuse it with pharyngitis, a persistent sore throat. It is necessary to identify the disease as early as possible to eliminate the risk of complications.
Video - How to suspect pneumonia?
How is the diagnosis made?
Signs for which a diagnosis of pneumonia is made:
- Continuous shortness of breath, in some cases there is difficulty breathing. In young children, shortness of breath is especially severe, and this phenomenon increases in proportion to the area of inflammation.
- Characteristic wheezing, retraction of the affected area inward during breathing.
- Duration reduction percussion sound in about half of the patients. Even if this symptom is absent in the first stages of the disease, one cannot assert the absence of inflammation.
- Wheezing when breathing. If the disease occurs in acute form, this phenomenon may not be detected. If wheezing is heard evenly, this often indicates not pneumonia, but bronchitis.
- Decreased breathing. If characteristic wheezing is not observed during pneumonia, this symptom is often diagnosed. To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct additional examination.
Important, but not characteristic signs of pneumonia in children are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, symptoms of severe intoxication in the body, increased body temperature, and hyperhidrosis. Please note that if you have a cough, take a deep breath you should immediately consult a specialist, as this symptom may indicate serious illnesses respiratory organs.
On a note! When taking a blood test for pneumonia, leukocytosis is often diagnosed, which is also important diagnostic criterion. To determine the causative agent of the disease, carry out bacteriological examination. Also during diagnostic examination sensitivity to antibiotics is detected, which allows you to select the optimal drugs.
Video - How to diagnose pneumonia?
How to prevent pneumonia?
It is necessary to follow the basic rules to reduce the likelihood of developing the disease:
- Pay attention to the recommendations and advice of your doctor if you detect a viral or bacterial infection.
- Pneumonia may appear as a complication of acute respiratory viral infection. To prevent the occurrence of the disease, it is necessary to promptly treat a runny nose, pharyngitis and other common diseases.
- When recovering from ARVI, you should not immediately send your child to kindergarten or other places where increased risk contracting a bacterial or viral infection. It is advisable to wait about 2 weeks. During this time, the immune system will return to normal, which will reduce the likelihood of complications. Antibiotics can only be used if prescribed by a specialist.
- If you find out about the spread of any epidemic, it is advisable to spend more time at home and not go to places with a lot of people. During the epidemic, it is advisable to refuse to attend kindergarten and, if possible, leave the child at home.
- Maintaining good hygiene will help reduce the risk of infection entering the body. It is necessary to accustom the child to basic hygiene standards from infancy.
On a note! If pneumonia is diagnosed, a specialized course of therapy must be prescribed. In some cases, it is necessary to move the child to a hospital. It is prohibited to independently select a treatment regimen. You can treat a child at home only after visiting a doctor and receiving the appropriate permission.
Pneumonia can occur either classic scheme, and atypical. In both cases, rapid identification of the disease is necessary, as well as competent treatment. Knowing the main signs of pathology, you can diagnose pneumonia in a timely manner in order to prevent the development of complications.
Pneumonia is an acute inflammatory process that occurs in the lungs. The cause of the disease is most often bacteria: pneumococci, staphylococci or streptococci. There are also pneumonia of viral and fungal forms of the disease.
Pneumonia is the most common infectious-inflammatory disease. In the structure of all childhood pulmonary diseases it occurs in 80% of cases.
The right lung consists of three lobes, and the left lung has two. The lobes, in turn, are divided into segments, and these into smaller alveoli. So they become inflamed during pneumonia.
Pneumonia in a child is diagnosed based on the results of x-rays and the presence of an inflammatory process.
Why is it dangerous? pneumonia in children, to date, despite significant achievements modern medicine, pneumonia in children at an early age leads to death in 1.5% of cases.
Causes of pneumonia in children.
Cause of pneumonia in children most often it is a secondary disease after or acute respiratory viral infection, as a complication and manifests itself on the 6-7th day of illness.
Less commonly, the cause is contact with a carrier of the disease. The infectious form is a viral form that is transmitted by airborne droplets and is caused by pneumococci.
In many cases, the cause of pneumonia in children is their own microflora, these are staphylococci or coli, which are activated by hypothermia, decreased immunity, causing inflammation in the lungs. This bacterial pneumonia is not contagious.
In a child of the first year of life, pneumonia can occur not only but also after a serious injury, food poisoning, or after any serious past illness, provoking a decrease. This occurs due to a decrease in the immune response when the child’s lungs do a poor job of filtering, not removing toxins and other decay products. Therefore, if pneumonia is suspected, it is necessary to determine what signs of the disease are present, diagnose it as early as possible and begin treatment.
Contributors to the occurrence of this disease include: rickets, anemia, malnutrition, heart disease, and diseases of the central nervous system.
Classification of pneumonia in children:
Focal - characterized by small foci of inflammation of the lung tissue measuring 1 cm in size, more common in children under one year of age.
Segmental - inflammation is localized in one or two segments of the lung.
Croupous is a severe form, inflammation spreads immediately to one or several lobes of the lung.
Interstitial - inflammation is localized in the septa around the bronchi and alveoli. Rarely seen.
How to recognize pneumonia in a child?
In a child from 2 to 5 years old, signs of pneumonia are easier to notice than in children under 1 year old; the child may already complain of pain in the chest. Therefore, the disease is most dangerous for children younger age, when it is fraught with serious complications, including a threat to the life of the child. Let's consider the question how to recognize pneumonia in a child by age:
Age up to 1 year:
Symptoms of pneumonia in children under one year of age are mild, how to recognize pneumonia in a child. You should pay attention to the child’s behavior: the duration of sleep is short, the child often wakes up, is capricious, breathes heavily and frequently. Normal frequency breathing of a child up to 2 months of age - 50 breaths per minute, from 2 months to 1 year the frequency of breaths is 25-40, with pneumonia the frequency increases to 60 breaths per minute and higher.
The classic symptom is paroxysmal cough, during which the child cries due to chest pain. After an attack, vomiting may begin. The temperature is not high - up to 37.4 ° C, or may be normal. Sometimes cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle appears, most often at the time of feeding. Such signs of pneumonia in a child under one year of age are considered dangerous, as they can cause respiratory arrest; you should immediately call a pediatrician.
Ages up to 2 years:
In children aged 1 year, pneumonia begins 6–7 days after a cold with a dry cough, sneezing, and runny nose. The first signs of pneumonia in children are decreased appetite, the child becomes lethargic, and sleep is disturbed. The temperature at this age can rise to 38°C and lasts up to 3 days; antipyretics in this case are ineffective.
Breathing is difficult, one half of the chest clearly lags behind the other during breathing, the breathing rate increases to 50 or more breaths per minute, with the norm being 30 - 40 breaths.
Age 2-3 years:
When at 3 year old child pneumonia, there is heavy, rapid breathing - more than 35 breaths per minute, with the norm being 25-30. The condition is drowsy, lethargic, appetite is reduced.
Ages 4 years and older:
At 4 years of age, signs of the disease appear 2-4 days after a cold. It begins with a deterioration in the general condition and an increase in temperature (37.1-37.3 ° C), which lasts for 2-3 days, while the condition worsens, accompanied by drowsiness and loss of appetite, headache, and pale skin. Coughing appears first, then a dry, paroxysmal cough.
The child’s breathing is labored and frequent, over 30 breaths per minute, while the norm for this age is 25–30.
Diagnosis of pneumonia in children.
If you find signs of pneumonia in a child, such as: acute, dry, paroxysmal cough on the 4th-6th day of a cold, increased breathing, slight increase in temperature, lethargy, apathy, lack of appetite, drowsiness, you should urgently contact a pediatrician for further diagnosis and differentiation with other diseases .
Basic methods diagnosis of pneumonia in children:
- Anamnesis collection. The doctor finds out the symptoms noticed in the child;
- Inspection. When percussing the lungs, a dull sound is heard in the affected area. When listening, wheezing is detected;
- X-ray of the lungs shows changes in lung tissue.
- indicates the presence of inflammatory processes in the child’s body.
- For diagnosis of pneumonia in children take bacteriological culture of sputum. Identifies the causative agent of the inflammatory process.
- Until a child is 3 years old, treatment is carried out only inpatient.
- From 3 years and older with focal form(mild) or if the course of the disease is favorable, outpatient treatment is allowed.
Main treatment methods:
Antibiotics are prescribed to treat pneumonia in children, despite harmful effects on the child’s body, this disease cannot be cured by other means. The type of antibiotics and doses are selected by the doctor depending on age, pathogen and severity.
- Antibacterial therapy - antibiotics are prescribed wide range actions;
- Antiviral therapy, immunotherapy: etc. – when a viral form is detected;
- Antifungal therapy – when the cause of pneumonia is a fungus;
To treat pneumonia in children, in addition to antibiotics, symptomatic treatment is recommended.
- Antipyretic drugs Nurofen, to lower the temperature.
- Cough expectorants: Mucaltin, ACC, etc. for removing phlegm.
- Auxiliary therapy - adjustment water balance, at severe course intravenous infusions are prescribed.
- Taking vitamins, eating healthy.
In mild cases, treatment of pneumonia in children lasts 10 days; in more severe cases and complications, treatment with antibiotics can last up to a month; in any case, the duration of treatment is determined by the doctor.
Why is pneumonia dangerous in children?
If treatment is not started on time, complications may arise that lead to serious problems:
- Respiratory failure, shortness of breath due to poor circulation in the lungs;
- Cardiovascular failure caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood;
- Pleurisy or pneumothorax is the accumulation of fluid between the membranes of the lungs;
- Lung abscess;
- Pulmonary destruction is the destruction of lung tissue;
- Infectious-toxic shock.
What is dangerous about pneumonia in children is that complications often lead to death. According to WHO, pneumonia and its complications are one of the main causes of death among children in the world.
Prevention
A significant method of preventing the immunity of a young child is breastfeeding, since immunity is adopted from the mother from breast milk. Also important preventive measures is proper care, room ventilation, wet cleaning, daily walks outside.
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