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Pneumonia is defined as an infection involving the alveoli of the lungs. There are several different classification schema: microbiological, radiological, age-related, anatomical, point of acquiring infection. Some terms used to define pneumonia include:
- lobar - pneumonia that results in the consolidation of a pulmonary lobe
- multilobar - pneumonia that results in the consolidation of more than one lobe
- community-acquired - pneumonia in a patient who is not or has not recently been in the hospital
- hospital-acquired or nosocomial - pneumonia in a patient in a hospital
- walking - outdated term, pneumonia in a patient who is still able to walk, a mild pneumonia, usually due to Mycoplasma
- pneumococcal - pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae
For the purposes of this article, we shall categorize pneumonia according to its point of infection, community-acquired, hospital-acquired, and subdivide as necessary.
- atypical - pneumonia due to either Mycoplasma, Chlamydia or Leigonella.
History of pneumonia
Before the advent of antibiotics, pneumonia was often fatal.
Community-acquired pneumonia
- Epidemiology - Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a serious illness. It is the fourth most common cause of death in the UK, and sixth in the USA.
- Pathology and Pathogenesis
- Clinical features - typical symptoms include cough, fever, sputum production
- Treatment
- Prognosis
Hospital-acquired pneumonia
- Epidemiology
- Pathology and Pathogenesis
- Clinical features
- Treatment
- Prognosis
Other pneumonias
On February 27th 2003, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a new form of atypical pneumonia, was first documented by Dr. Carlo Urbani. This worried doctors who feared that it may become a pandemic, but by July it appeared to be contained. The most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as Pneumococcus.
Pneumonia is a serious illness, especially among the elderly and the immuno-compromised and is often a cause of death for these groups. AIDS patients frequently contract pneumocystis pneumonia, an otherwise rare form of the disease. Persons with cystic fibrosis are also at very high risk of pneumonia because thick, sticky mucus is constantly accumulating in the lungs, trapping bacteria and leading to infection.
Symptoms may include:
- Cough with greenish or yellow mucus
- Fever with shaking chills
- Sharp or stabbing chest pain, worsened by deep breaths or coughs
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Shortness of breath
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
- Bloody mucus
- Headache
- Excessive sweating and clammy skin
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive fatigue