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Pneumonia

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Bronchopneumonia; Community-acquired pneumonia

Treatment:

If the cause is bacterial, the goal is to cure the infection with antibiotics. If the cause is viral, typical antibiotics will NOT be effective, however sometimes your doctor may use antiviral medication. In some cases it is difficult to distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia, so antibiotics may be prescribed.

Many people can be treated at home with antibiotics. If you have an underlying chronic disease, severe symptoms, or low oxygen levels, you will likely require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics and oxygen therapy. Infants and the elderly are more commonly admitted for treatment of pneumonia.

You can take these steps at home:

• Drink plenty of fluids to help loosen secretions and bring up phlegm.
• Get lots of rest. Have someone else do household chores.
• Control your fever with aspirin or acetaminophen. DO NOT give aspirin to children.

When in the hospital, respiratory treatments to remove secretions may be necessary. Occasionally, steroid medications may be used to reduce wheezing if there is an underlying lung disease.

Expectations (prognosis):

With treatment, most patients will improve within two weeks. Elderly or debilitated patients who fail to respond to treatment may die from respiratory failure.

Complications:

Empyema or lung abscesses are infrequent, but serious, complications of pneumonia. They occur when pockets of pus form around or inside the lung. These may sometimes require surgical drainage.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your doctor if you have:

• Worsening respiratory symptoms
• Shortness of breath, shaking chills, or persistent fevers
• Rapid or painful breathing
• A cough that brings up bloody or rust-colored mucus
• Chest pain that worsens when you cough or inhale
• Night sweats or unexplained weight loss
• Signs of pneumonia and weak immune system, as with HIV or chemotherapy

Infants with pneumonia may not have a cough. Call your doctor if your infant makes grunting noises or the area below the rib cage is retracting while breathing.

References:

Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002;

Cohen J, Powderly WG. Infectious Diseases . 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier, 2004.

Mandell, GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases . 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2000.

Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Clin Infect Dis . 2007 Mar 1;44 Suppl 2:S27-72.

American Thoracic Society. Guidelines for the management of adults with hospital-acquired, ventilator-associated, and healthcare-associated pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med . 2005 Feb 15;171(4):388-416.

• Review Date: 8/3/2007
• Reviewed By: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veteran Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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