Signs of pneumonia in children

Pneumonia in a child - symptoms, treatment, causes

Inflammation of the lungs or pneumonia is one of the most common acute infectious and inflammatory diseases of a person. Moreover, the concept of pneumonia does not include various allergic and vascular lung diseases, bronchitis, and also impaired lung function, triggered by chemical or physical factors (injuries, chemical burns).

Especially often there are pneumonia in children, the symptoms and signs of which are reliably determined only on the basis of X-ray data and a general blood test. Pneumonia among all pulmonary pathologies in young children is almost 80%. Even with the introduction of advanced technologies in medicine - the discovery of antibiotics, improved methods of diagnosis and treatment - so far this disease is among the top ten most frequent causes of death. According to statistics in various regions of our country, the incidence of pneumonia in children is 0.4-1.7%.

When and why can a child develop pneumonia?

Lungs in the human body perform several important functions. The main function of the lungs is the gas exchange between the alveoli and the capillaries, which envelop them. Simply put, oxygen from the air in the alveolus is transported to the blood, and from the blood carbon dioxide enters the alveolus. They also regulate body temperature, regulate blood coagulability, are one of the filters in the body, promote purification, removal of toxins, decay products arising from various injuries, infectious inflammatory processes.

And if food poisoning, a burn, a fracture, surgical interventions, any serious injury or disease, there is a general decrease in immunity, it is easier to cope with the toxin filtration effort more easily. That is why very often after a child has suffered or is suffering from injuries or poisonings, pneumonia occurs.

The most common pathogens are pathogenic bacteria - pneumococci, streptococci and staphylococci, and recently cases of lung inflammation from such pathogens, legionella (usually after staying at airports with artificial ventilation), mycoplasma, chlamydia, which are not often mixed, associated.

Pneumonia in a child, as an independent disease that occurs after a serious, strong, prolonged hypothermia, it is extremely rare, as parents try not to allow such situations. As a rule, in most children, pneumonia occurs not as a primary disease, but as a complication after an acute respiratory viral infection or influenza, less often other diseases. Why is this happening?

Many of us believe that acute viral respiratory diseases in the last decades have become more aggressive, dangerous their complications. Perhaps this is due to the fact that both viruses and infections have become more resistant to antibiotics and antiviral drugs, so they are so hard for children and cause complications.

One of the factors contributing to the increase in the incidence of pneumonia in children in recent years has been the overall poor health of the growing generation - how many children are born with congenital pathologies, malformations, CNS lesions. Especially severe pneumonia occurs in premature or newborn babies, when the disease develops against the background of intrauterine infection with an insufficiently formed, not mature respiratory system.

In congenital pneumonia, the herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, mycoplasmas are not infrequently causative agents, and when infected with childbirth - chlamydia, group B Streptococcus, conditionally pathogenic fungi, E. coli, Klebsiella, anaerobic flora, when infected with hospital infections, pneumonia begins on day 6 or 2 weeks after birth.

Naturally, pneumonia often happens in cold weather, when the organism is subjected to seasonal adjustment from heat to cold and vice versa, there are overloads for immunity, at this time there is a lack of natural vitamins in foods, temperature changes, damp, frosty, windy weather contribute to children's hypothermia and their infection.

In addition, if a child suffers from any chronic diseases - tonsillitis, adenoids in children, sinusitis, dystrophy, rickets (see. rickets in infants), cardiovascular disease, any severe chronic pathologies, such as congenital central lesions nervous system, malformations, immunodeficiency states - significantly increase the risk of developing pneumonia, aggravate its course.

The severity of the disease depends on:

• Extensibility of the process (focal, focal, draining, segmental, lobar, interstitial pneumonia).
• The child's age, the younger the baby, the narrower the airways, the less intense gas exchange in the child's body and the heavier the course of pneumonia.
• Places where and for what reason there was a pneumonia:
  - community-acquired: most often have an easier flow
  - hospital: more severe, because it is possible to infect bacteria resistant to antibiotics
  - Aspiration: when inhaled foreign objects, mixture or milk.
• The most important role in this is played by the general health of the child, that is, his immunity.

Improper treatment of influenza and ARVI can lead to pneumonia in the child

When a child falls ill with an ordinary cold, SARS, influenza - the inflammatory process is localized only in the nasopharynx, trachea and larynx. With a weak immune response, and also if the causative agent is very active and aggressive, and the treatment in the child is done incorrectly, the process of reproduction of bacteria descends from the upper respiratory tract to the bronchi, then bronchitis may occur. Further, the inflammation can affect the lung tissue, causing pneumonia.

What happens in the body of a child in a viral disease? The majority of adults and children in the nasopharynx always have various opportunistic microorganisms - streptococci, staphylococci, without causing harm to health, because local immunity inhibits their growth.

However, any acute respiratory disease leads to their active reproduction and with the correct action of the parents during the illness of the child, immunity does not allow their intensive growth.

What should not be done during ARVI in the child, so as not to cause complications:

• You can not use antitussives. Coughing is a natural reflex that helps the body to clear the trachea, bronchi and lungs from mucus, bacteria, toxins. If, for the purpose of reducing the intensity of dry cough, to use the antitussive drugs that affect the cough center in the brain, such as Stoptusin, Broncholitin, Libexin, Paxeladin, then sputum and bacteria may accumulate in the lower respiratory tract, which ultimately leads to pneumonia.
• It is not possible to conduct any preventive therapy with antibiotics for colds, with a viral infection (see. antibiotics for colds). Against the virus, antibiotics are powerless, and with opportunistic bacteria immunity should cope, and only when complications arise according to the doctor's appointment is shown their use.
• The same applies to the use of various nasal vasoconstrictors, their use contributes to a faster penetration virus in the lower respiratory tract, so galazolin, Naphthysine, Sanorin used in viral infection is not safe.
• Abundant drink - one of the most effective methods of removing intoxication, dilution of sputum and rapid cleansing of respiratory There are plenty of ways to drink, even if the child refuses to drink, parents should be very persistent. If you do not insist that your child drink enough fluids, in addition, the room will have dry air - it will be promote drying of the mucosa, which can lead to a longer course of the disease or complication - bronchitis or pneumonia.
• Permanent ventilation, lack of carpets and carpeting, daily wet cleaning of the room in which the child is, moisturizing and cleaning the air with a humidifier and air cleaner will help to quickly cope with the virus and prevent the development of pneumonia. As clean, cool, moist air helps to dissolve sputum, quickly remove toxins with sweat, cough, wet breath, which allows the child to recover faster.

Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis - differences from pneumonia

With SARS usually the following symptoms:

• High temperature in the first 2-3 days of the disease (see Fig. antipyretics for children)
• Headache, chills, intoxication, weakness
• Qatar upper respiratory tract, runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat (it does not always happen).

In acute bronchitis with Orvy, the following symptoms may occur:

• Minor increase in body temperature, usually up to 38C.
• First the cough is dry, then it becomes wet, there is no shortness of breath, unlike pneumonia.
• Breathing becomes hard, on different sides there are variously scattered rales that change or disappear after coughing.
• On the roentgenogram, the intensification of the pulmonary pattern is determined, the structure of the roots of the lungs decreases.
• There are no local changes in the lungs.

Bronchiolitis occurs most often in children up to a year:

• The difference between bronchiolitis and pneumonia can be determined only by X-ray examination, based on the absence of local changes in the lungs. According to the clinical picture, the acute symptoms of intoxication and the increase in respiratory insufficiency, the appearance of dyspnoea - very much resemble pneumonia.
• With bronchiolitis, the breathing in a child is weakened, shortness of breath with the help of an auxiliary musculature, nasolabial triangle to become a bluish shade, a general cyanosis, a pronounced pulmonary-cardiac insufficiency, is possible. When listening to a boxed sound is detected, the mass of scattered small bubbling rales.

Signs of pneumonia in the child

With a high activity of the causative agent of the infection, or with a weak immune response of the body to it, when even the most effective preventive medical measures do not stop the inflammatory the process and the condition of the child deteriorates, the parents can for some symptoms guess that the child needs more serious treatment and urgent examination of the doctor. In this case, in no case should not begin treatment by any popular method. If it really is pneumonia, it will not only not help, but the condition may worsen and time for adequate examination and treatment will be missed.

Symptoms of pneumonia in a child 2 - 3 years and older

How to identify attentive parents with a cold or viral illness that it is necessary to urgently call a doctor and suspect a pneumonia in the child? Symptoms that require an X-ray diagnosis:

• After Orvi, influenza within 3-5 days there is no improvement or after a slight improvement again there is a temperature jump and increased intoxication, coughing.
• Lack of appetite, sluggishness of the child, sleep disturbance, capriciousness persist within a week after the onset of the illness.
• The main symptom of the disease remains a strong cough.
• The body temperature is not high, but the baby has shortness of breath. At the same time, the number of breaths per minute in a child increases, the rate of breaths per minute in children aged 1-3 years is 25-30 breaths, in children 4-6 years - a rate of 25 breaths per minute, if the child is in a relaxed calm state. With pneumonia, the number of breaths becomes larger than these figures.
• With the other symptoms of a viral infection - cough, temperature, cold, severe pallor of the skin is observed.
• If the temperature is high for more than 4 days and antipyretic agents such as Paracetamol, Efferalgan, Panadol, Tylenol are not effective.

Symptoms of pneumonia in infants, children under one year of age

The onset of the disease can be noticed by the mom by changing the behavior of the baby. If a child constantly wants to sleep, become listless, apathetic or vice versa, he is a lot naughty, cries, refuses from food, with a slight increase in temperature - mom should immediately contact the pediatrician.

Body temperature

In the first year of life, pneumonia in a child, a symptom of which is considered to be a high, not knocked down temperature, differs in that at this age it is not high, does not reach 37.5 or even 37.1-37.3. The temperature is not an indication of the severity of the state.

The first symptoms of pneumonia in an infant

This causeless anxiety, lethargy, decreased appetite, the baby refuses the breast, the sleep becomes restless, short, appears a loose stool, there may be vomiting or regurgitation, a runny nose and paroxysmal cough that increases during crying or feeding the baby.

Child's breathing

Pain in the chest with breathing and coughing.
Sputum - with a damp cough, purulent or mucopurulent sputum (yellow or green) is secreted.
Shortness of breath or an increase in the number of respiratory movements in young children is a clear sign of pneumonia in a child. Dyspnoea in babies can be accompanied by nodding to the breath, as well as the baby blows his cheeks and extends his lips, sometimes there are foamy discharge from the mouth and nose. The symptom of pneumonia is considered to be the excess of the number of breaths per minute:

• In children up to 2 months - the norm is up to 50 breaths per minute, more than 60 is considered a high frequency.
• In children, after 2 months to a year, the norm is 25-40 breaths, if 50 or more, this is an excess of the norm.
• In children older than one year, the number of breaths more than 40 is considered a shortness of breath.

The skin relief during breathing changes. Attentive parents can also notice the retraction of the skin during breathing, more often on one side of the patient's lung. To notice this, it is necessary to undress the baby and observe the skin between the ribs, it retracts when breathing.

With extensive lesions, there may be a lag of one side of the lung with deep breathing. Sometimes you can notice periodic stopping of breathing, disturbance of rhythm, depth, breathing frequency and the child's desire to lie on one side.

Cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle

This is the most important symptom of pneumonia, when the blue skin appears between the lips and the spout of the baby. Especially this sign is pronounced when the child sucks the breast. With severe respiratory failure, a slight blueing can be not only on the face, but also on the body.

Chlamydia, mycoplasmal pneumonia in children

Among the pneumonias, the causative agents of which are not banal bacteria, but various atypical representatives secrete mycoplasmal and chlamydial pneumonia. In children, the symptoms of such pneumonia are slightly different from the course of the usual pneumonia. Sometimes they are characterized by a hidden sluggish current. Symptoms of SARS in a child can be as follows:

• The onset of the disease is characterized by a sharp rise in body temperature to 39.5C, then a stable low-grade fever -37.2-37.5 is formed or even a temperature normalization occurs.
• It is also possible the onset of the disease with the usual signs of ARVI - sneezing, choking in the throat, a bad cold.
• Persistent dry debilitating cough, shortness of breath may not be permanent. Such a cough usually occurs with acute bronchitis, and not pneumonia, which complicates the diagnosis.
• When listening to a doctor, scanty data are usually presented: rare variegated rattles, pulmonary percussion sound. Therefore, according to the nature of wheezing, it is difficult for a doctor to determine atypical pneumonia, since there are no traditional signs, which greatly complicates the diagnosis.
• In the analysis of blood in atypical pneumonia there may be no significant changes. But usually there is increased ESR, neutrophilic leukocytosis, a combination with anemia, leukopenia, eosinophilia.
• On the x-ray of the chest reveals a pronounced enhancement of the pulmonary pattern, non-uniform focal infiltration of the pulmonary fields.
• Both chlamydia and mycoplasma have a feature that exists for a long time in the epithelial cells of the bronchi and lungs, therefore, pneumonia usually has a prolonged recurrent character.
• Treatment of atypical pneumonia in the child is carried out by macrolides (azithromycin, josamycin, clarithromycin), since the causative agents to them are the most sensitive (to tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, too, but they are contraindicated for children).

Indications for hospitalization

The decision on where to treat a child with pneumonia - in a hospital or at home, the doctor takes, while he takes into account several factors:

• The severity of the condition and the presence of complications - respiratory failure, pleurisy, acute disorders of consciousness, cardiac insufficiency, falling blood pressure, lung abscess, pleural empyema, infectious-toxic shock, sepsis.
• The defeat of several lobes of the lung. Treatment of focal pneumonia in the child at home is entirely possible, but with croupous pneumonia treatment is best done in a hospital.
• Social indications are poor living conditions, inability to perform care and doctor's prescriptions.
• Age of the child - if the infant is sick, this is the reason for hospitalization, because the pneumonia of the baby is a serious threat to life. If pneumonia develops in a child under 3 years of age, treatment depends on the severity of the condition and most often doctors insist on hospitalization. Older children can be treated at home provided that the pneumonia is not severe.
• General health - in the presence of chronic diseases, weakened overall health of the child, regardless of age, the doctor may insist on hospitalization.

Treatment of pneumonia in children

How to treat pneumonia in children? The basis of therapy for pneumonia is antibiotics. At a time when there were no antibiotics in the arsenal of doctors for bronchitis and pneumonia, a very frequent cause of death of adults and children was pneumonia, therefore, in no case can not refuse to use them, no folk remedies for pneumonia are effective. From the parents it is required to strictly follow all the doctor's recommendations, the proper care of the child, the observance of the drinking regime, nutrition:

• Admission of antibiotics must be carried out strictly in time, if the appointment of the drug 2 times in day, this means that there should be a break between meals at 12 o'clock, if 3 times a day, then a break of 8 hours (see. 11 rules how to take antibiotics correctly). Antibiotics are prescribed - penicillins, cephalosporins for 7 days, macrolides (azithromycin, josamycin, clarithromycin) - 5 days. The effectiveness of the drug is estimated within 72 hours - an improvement in appetite, a decrease in temperature, dyspnea.
• Antipyretics are used if the temperature is above 39C, in infants above 38C. Initially, antibiotic treatment of antipyretics is not prescribed, as the evaluation of the effectiveness of therapy is difficult. It should be remembered that during a high temperature in the body produces the maximum number of antibodies against the causative agent of the disease, so if the child can tolerate the temperature of 38C, it is better not to knock it down. So the body quickly cope with the microbe that caused pneumonia in the baby. If the child had at least one episode of febrile seizures, the temperature should be knocked down already at 37.5C.
• Nutrition of the child with pneumonia - lack of appetite in children during illness is considered natural and the child's refusal to admit food is explained by the increased burden on the liver when fighting infection, so you can not force a child to feed. If possible, prepare light food for the patient, exclude any ready-made chemical products, fried and fatty, try to feed the child simple, easily digestible food - cereals, soups on a weak broth, steamed cutlets from low-fat meat, boiled potatoes, various vegetables, fruits.
• Oral hydration - in water, natural freshly diluted juices - carrot, apple, slightly boiled tea with raspberries, rose hips infusion, water-electrolyte solutions (Regidron and others) are added.
• Airing, daily wet cleaning, use of air humidifiers - ease the condition of the baby, and the love and care of parents works wonders.
• No restorative (synthetic vitamins), antihistamines, immunomodulating agents are not used, as often lead to side effects and do not improve the course and outcome of pneumonia.

Reception of antibiotics for pneumonia in a child (uncomplicated) usually does not exceed 7 days (macrolides 5 days), and if bed rest is observed, follow all recommendations doctor, in the absence of complications, the child quickly recovers, but for a month there will still be residual effects in the form of a cough, minor weakness. With atypical pneumonia, treatment can be delayed.

In the treatment of antibiotics in the body, the intestinal microflora is broken, so the doctor prescribes probiotics - RioFlora Immuno, Acipol, Bifiform, Bifidumbacterin, Normobakt, Lactobacterin. Analogues of Linex - a list of all probiotics). To remove toxins after the end of therapy, the doctor can prescribe sorbents, such as Polysorb, Enterosgel, Filtrum.

With the effectiveness of treatment for general regimen and walks, it is possible to transfer the child from the 6th to the 10th day of the disease, the hardening to resume after 2-3 weeks. With a mild pneumonia, large physical exertion (sport) is allowed after 6 weeks, with complicated after 12 weeks.

zdravotvet.ru

Signs of pneumonia in the child

Very often children's colds can be complicated by pneumonia. This is a very serious disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat, pneumonia can be different, they depend on which zone of inflammation is covered. The most common form of pneumonia affects children who have not yet reached the age of three, they are atypically leaking, because children can not cough up phlegm and do not say in which area they feel pain. In young children, pneumonia is almost not audible, because children are restless, cry. It is very important to identify this disease in advance so that there are no serious complications.

Causes of pneumonia in children

Most often pneumonia occurs due to microbes - pneumococci. In children under 3 years old, pneumonia can cause staphylococcus, very rarely a chlamydial or microplasma pathogen, as well as pneumonia in children occurs due to several microbes.

Very rarely, children have pneumonia on their own, most often it is the result of a viral infection or a complication after the flu. This is due to the fact that the cold reduces immunity in the respiratory tract and immunity ceases to fight. Due to the fact that viruses affect the mucous membranes in the airways, microbes that are in the upper and lower respiratory ways are not completely destroyed, they start multiplying more strongly, and form a microbial process and pneumonia.

Often, pneumonia runs the risk of getting sick of children who are very tired and overcooled when they have frozen their legs. The cold becomes complicated when the baby is surrounded by pneumococci and other microbes, both children and adults can bear them. Also, pneumonia develops if germs or other infectious foci, kidney or intestinal, have been introduced into the bloodstream. When lung tissue is dominated by heat and humidity, microbes rapidly multiply, and pneumonia develops.

Danger of pneumonia for children

For infants, this is a deadly disease, when microbes begin to enter the lungs, they begin to destroy tissues, and there may be swelling and inflammation. Thus, the permeability of the lungs to oxygen is violated, that is, the baby begins to suffocate, while there is a marked disturbance in the metabolism, carbon dioxide is removed from the tissues, and they are no longer supplied with oxygen.

When there is inflammation, a lot of toxins start to appear, because of this the child intoxication and disrupted general health, this further worsens the patient's well-being. It is important to consider how much tissue in the lung is affected, it depends on it, how serious the disease is.

Types of pneumonia in children

1. Focal pneumonia occurs when a small area of ​​the lung becomes inflamed.

2. Segmental pneumonia occurs when only a certain segment of the lung is inflamed, this lesion is more extensive than the previous one.

3. Fracture pneumonia is considered a very severe form, because breathing is disturbed, due to the fact that a large section of the lung tissue can fall out.

4. Very dangerous for the child is total pneumonia, it affects the entire lung, it can be of two types - one-sided and two-sided. This is a serious disease.

Pneumonia is characterized by the fact that the metabolism is disturbed, because the inflammation of the lung begins to affect all the systems of the body. Microbes at the same time secrete toxins, can affect the nerve tissue, while the mind is depressed and the person is overexcited. There may be hypoxia, because of this, blood circulation increases, while a person feels a heavy load on the cardiovascular system, because of this very much loses weight and he develops neurasthenia. It is very important to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia in time and start treatment on time, if it is not treated in time it can have serious and deplorable consequences for the child.

How is pneumonia manifested in children of different species?

Pneumonia depends on which area of ​​inflammation, if it is large and active, means the disease will be severe. Most often pneumonia in children is treated well.

Bronchopneumonia or focal pneumonia is a complication of ARVI, it can begin with the common cold, runny nose, cough and drowsiness, then the infection goes very deep. The virus begins to affect the bronchi, then the lung tissue, microbes join it and the disease worsens.

Signs of pneumonia in children

1. Sharp deterioration in the health of the baby.

2. The appearance of a very dry or wet cough that is deep.

3. There may be shortness of breath when sucking, crying and exercising, and even in a dream.

4. In the breath begin to participate thoracic cellular muscles.

5. The temperature rises from 38 to 39 degrees, and almost does not go astray.

6. If the baby has problems with immunity, there may be no fever and body temperature on the contrary decreases.

7. The body temperature with pneumonia lasts for several days, even after the active treatment has begun.

8. The baby is pale when examined, blue may appear around the mouth and nose.

9. The child is restless, does not eat well and sleeps a lot.

10. When listening to the bronchi can be observed hard breathing, this indicates the inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

11. Over the lungs small rattles are heard, they are damp, they do not disappear after the baby coughs.

12. In the heart there may be tachycardia, vomiting and nausea, stomach aches, a loose stool appears, because of this, intestinal infection also joins.

13. With pneumonia, the liver is enlarged.

14. The child comes in serious condition.

So, it is very important to diagnose the lung disease of a child in time and begin timely treatment, so you can get rid of complications and help the child cope with the disease. Diagnosis of the disease can be with the help of an X-ray, in the picture visible darkened areas of the lung, this indicates inflammation and tissue tightening. A general blood test has an increased amount of white blood cells, which also indicates an inflammatory process.

medportal.su

The main signs of pneumonia in children

Symptoms of pneumonia in children may differ from signs of infection in adults. Inflammation of the lungs, or pneumonia, impairs the quality of life of the child every 20 seconds.

Unlike adults, children who have pneumonia may not suffer from aching cough or fever and may have infection symptoms that are much more subtle to the definition.

Children are in a greater risk zone for pneumonia, since their immune system is not fully developed yet, and the protective functions of the body are weak.

In general, the signs of pneumonia in children vary according to age, but there are many factors judging by which it can be determined whether your child develops more or is just a runny nose.

How to identify pneumonia in a child in mild form?

Inflammation of the lungs, which is caused by certain bacteria, including mycoplasma and chlamydia, usually leads to more moderate signs of manifestation, not only among adults, but also among children.

The type of pneumonia known as atypical or ongoing pneumonia is common among school-age children.

Children with "walking" pneumonia may not feel sick to stay at home, but they may exhibit the following symptoms:

• Dry cough.
• Subfebrile fever.
• Headache.
• Fatigue.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is responsible for approximately 15 to 50 percent of all cases of pneumonia in adults, but its level is even higher among school-age children.

Therefore, the "walking" pneumonia, which most often develops at the end of summer and autumn, spreads from person to person.

Outbreaks of the first signs of pneumonia can brightly occur within groups that have close contact, such as schools or camps.Children who are already infected with the infection always bring it home and contribute to the common infection of the family without appropriate measures.

How is moderate pneumonia manifested in children?

Viruses cause most cases of pneumonia in preschool children up to five years of age and in infants over four months.

Symptoms of pneumonia in children are usually associated with other viruses and include the following:

• Angina.
• Cough.
• Subfebrile fever.
• Nasal congestion.
• Diarrhea.
• Loss of appetite.
• Lack of energy or fatigue.

Signs of pneumonia in children in severe form

Bacterial pneumonia is more common among school-age children and adolescents.

This type of pneumonia often develops more sharply and has more serious symptoms than the previous forms:

• Heat.
• Cough that produces yellowish or green mucus.
• Abundant sweating or chills.
• Reddened skin.
• Bluish shade at the lips or at the nail lodges.
• Hysterectomy.
• Labored breathing.

It is worth noting

Children with bacterial pneumonia usually look much more sick than those who have other forms of the disease.

Infants and infants may not show typical symptoms of pneumonia infection. It is also quite problematic to determine whether the children have a disease, because they can not tell their true state of health, unlike an older child.

The following signs of pneumonia in children may indicate pneumonia:

• A quick look.
• Lack of energy, melancholy and drowsiness.
• The cry is more pronounced than usual.
• He does not want to eat or eat small portions.
• Irritation and anxiety.
• Vomiting.

For the treatment of children who have only recently been hospitalized, antibiotics are often used, especially if the children have already had asthma or another chronic illness. The second method, which uses antibiotics - if children were not fully vaccinated against measles, chicken pox, whooping cough and seasonal flu.

The only way to know for sure is if the child has pneumonia - this is a visit to the doctor.A pediatrician or general practitioner can check for fluids in the baby's lungs using a stethoscope or an X-ray.

Paying due attention to the early symptoms of pneumonia in children, parents can avoid traveling to the emergency room.

However, pneumonia can progress very quickly among children, especially infants.

Two key signs that a child requires immediate medical attention:

• Increased temperature in the nostrils with breathing.
• Small children with pneumonia will breathe quickly. Doctors say that if you see that the abdominal muscles of a child work hard, it means that they have problems with breathing.

Treatment for pneumonia depends on what caused the infection and can fluctuate from outpatient treatment to surgery.

While certain antibiotics can effectively treat fungal pneumonia, medications are usually ineffective in considering viral types of pneumonia, which tend to be more moderate and pass on their own.

gajmorit.com

What are the signs of pneumonia?

Answers:

Elena Vasilyeva

1. Cough became the main symptom of the disease.
2. Deterioration after improvement or any "catarrhal disease" lasting more than 7 days.
3. It is impossible to take a deep breath - such an attempt leads to a fit of coughing.
4. The expressed pallor of a skin on a background of other signs ORVI (temperature, a rhinitis, tussis).
5. Shortness of breath at a low body temperature.
6. At high temperature, paracetamol (panadol, epheralgan, tylenol) does not help at all.

I want to emphasize that the knowledge of the 6 mentioned characteristics is not necessary in order to make a diagnosis, but in order not to be drawn with seeking medical help.

Luke

These are the black areas in the photo of the fluorography :))))

Dr. Watson

high fever, cough, go better to the doctor and do not look around

Ksenia Amvrosina

• Cough.
Usually cough is accompanied by any respiratory (catarrhal) disease, with the child coughing more at night and in the morning. The cough is more often dry, it lasts for 7-10 days. With pneumonia, cough is almost constant, nasal, with sputum (young children often swallow it). Can be a rusty shade in older children.
• Rapid breathing, when at rest the respiratory rate is higher than the norm: - up to 2 months. - it's 60 or more respiratory movements (counting or inhaling or exhaling);
- from 2 months. up to 12 months. - it is 50 and more respiratory movements;
- from 12 months. up to 5 years is 40 or more respiratory movements.
• Appearance of a difficult, sometimes moaning breathing with visible retraction of the subcostal or supraclavicular parts of the thorax. The child, as it were, "turns on" all the muscles of the chest to facilitate breathing.
• Cyanotic shade around the mouth, sometimes the face.
• Toddlers - swelling of the wings of the nose.
• Increase in temperature to high figures with chills, sometimes sweating.
• Pain in the chest if lung inflammation passes to the pleura.
• Pain in the abdomen, with inflammation of the lower parts of the lungs (sometimes mistakenly refer to surgical care).
• Headache with irritation of the membranes of the brain. Older children complain of severe pain in the chest and abdomen, which is caused by muscle re-contractions due to persistent, painful cough. Children may have general weakness, lethargy, deterioration of appetite, sometimes refusal of food, sometimes confusion, vomiting, etc. Special caution is necessary if pneumonia affects the children of the first months (the first year) of life. The smaller the baby, the less obvious signs: there is no temperature, a typical cough. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the general condition of the child, who may have the following symptoms of pneumonia:
- Pronounced lethargy, even immobility.
- Noticeable swelling of the wings of the nose with a blue around the nose and lips.
- '' Grunting '' breathing with entanglements.
These are very dangerous signs of pneumonia and need immediate treatment in the hospital.

William

Signs of pneumonia in the child
The clinical sign of a number of forms of pneumonia in a child is its acute onset. The period of catarrhal phenomena preceding pneumonia does not last long.

The acute onset is accompanied by high fever (up to 40-41 C), dry cough, sometimes with brown sputum. Somewhat later, in the lungs (in the focus of inflammation), damp rales are heard. Percutary tone with a boxed tint. Breathing is quickened. Wet rales are small and crepitating. Heart tones are frequent, muffled, sometimes arrhythmic. The liver is enlarged by 2-3 cm, soft by palpation.

When the form of pneumonia is toxic, the child suffers from a nervous system (the patient reacts weakly to the environment, and sometimes it is restless, crying at it causes sharp strengthening of a cough during which cyanosis is amplified). In more severe pneumonia, asthmatic status may develop.

If untimely treatment of pneumonia in a child can be complicated by exudative pleurisy.

Blood is characterized by leukocytosis, increased ESR.

Treatment is carried out in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.

Slavs

By the way, at a pneumonia of temperature can and not be.

Pneumonia in children, its causes, symptoms and treatment principles

Pneumonia is an acute inflammatory infectious disease that affects the lower parts of the respiratory tract - the lungs themselves. Pneumonia in children under 6 years of age often develops as a result of a viral infection, complicated by the attachment of bacterial flora, after angina, bronchitis and other colds.

In childhood, especially in children younger than 1 year old, this disease can be severe enough and even cause respiratory failure or severe intoxication of the body, so even a suspicion of this disease, should be the reason for seeking medical help and for conducting diagnostics.

Etiology and pathogenesis

Inflammation of the lungs or pneumonia in children usually develops as a result of the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the lower respiratory tract from the upper ones. Weakened by the illness of the child's body can not cope with the causative agent of the disease and then the inflammatory process begins in the alveoli and small bronchioles. Bacteria that get into the lungs actively multiply and release toxins that cause an intoxication of the body - fever, headache, general deterioration and other similar symptoms.

Then the alveoli gradually fill with mucus, pus and other inflammatory fluids that appear as a result of the vital activity of microorganisms, Because of this, normal gas exchange in the lungs is broken, respiratory failure develops, and the following symptoms appear: severe coughing, shortness of breath, dullness of percussion sound, wheezing in the lungs and the appearance of foci of inflammation on the chest radiograph.

The patient's condition is in direct proportion to the size of the affected area - with focal lesions, severe respiratory failure is not observed, the child has a cough and a slight shortness of breath and the patient's condition is satisfactory and the disease is easily stopped by taking antibiotics. If the whole or whole of the lung is affected by inflammation, the clinical picture of the disease completely changes, the condition of the sick child can be very difficult, up to a menacing life.

In most cases, pneumonia develops as a complication after the flu, bronchitis, sore throat or cold. The causative agents of the disease in children are often bacteria, less often viruses or other microorganisms - fungi or protozoa. Since it is necessary to start treatment, as soon as a suspicion of a disease appears, it is very important to at least approximately determine the pathogen - this determines the success of the therapy in the treatment of the child.

The causes of the development of the disease in children can be different - from massive infectious infection to hypothermia, which caused a drop in immunity. Diagnosis of the disease should include the determination of the type of pathogen, but since this takes a long time, the treatment starts with the empirical application of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

1. Most often pneumonia in children develop at the age of 6 months to 6 years - the causative agents of the disease in this case in children in 50% of cases is pneumococcus, about 10% - a hemophilic rod, less often - other pathogens - staphylococcus, mycoplasma, chlamydia or fungi.

2. In 7-15 years, children from pneumonia suffer much less often, pneumococcal causes about 30% of infections, less often - the causative agent is streptococcus, and more than 50% of all diseases cause atypical pathogens - mycoplasma, chlamydia.

3. Pneumonia in newborn infants and children up to 6 months of age - at this age of pneumonia suffer premature babies, children with developmental defects of the respiratory system, or those born with immunodeficiency. The causes of the development of the disease at this age are insufficiently formed respiratory organs, weakened organism and problems in the work of the immune system.

Signs of pneumonia

The first signs of the disease appear usually a few days after the onset of a viral infection or a cold. Acute pneumonia in children is broken fast enough, the deterioration of the condition can develop within a few hours and therefore even a suspicion of pneumonia should be the reason for contacting a doctor.

Acute pneumonia is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. A rise in body temperature is a symptom of pneumonia with a sharp increase in body temperature to 39-41 degrees and this temperature does not fall for several days, unlike acute respiratory disease and colds.
2. Deterioration of the general condition of the patient is a symptom of the disease pneumonia is characterized by severe weakness, fatigue, refusal to eat, there is increased sweating, pallor of the skin or cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle.
3. Cough - one of the most characteristic signs of the disease - cough can be dry or wet, with the separation of purulent sputum. Coughing attacks greatly deplete the patient, especially at night. Cough with pneumonia is permanent, painful, less often the cough can be paroxysmal or even with blood streaks in the sputum.
4. Shortness of breath and respiratory failure - increased respiration, lack of air, pale skin - all these are characteristic symptoms of pneumonia.
5. When breathing in the child, one can notice the retraction of the intercostal spaces or the lag of one half of the thorax from the other.

Clinical picture of the disease in children under 1 year old

In newborns and children under 1 year old, the symptoms of pneumonia may be very different from the usual ones and it is not so easy to recognize the disease. In young children, the characteristic signs of pneumonia are cough, an increase in body temperature may be absent or mild.

At this age, the changes in the state of the nervous system and the general deterioration of the child's condition come to the fore - it becomes sluggish, capricious, refuses food and constantly cries. Gradually, signs of respiratory insufficiency are getting worse - shortness of breath, cyanotic nasolabial triangle, quickening of breathing, coughing and entraining of intercostal spaces.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosis of the disease includes examining a sick child, collecting anamnesis, percussion and auscultation of the chest, and to confirm Diagnosis is made by X-ray examination of the lungs, sputum and mucus analysis and examination of the functions of external respiration in a child. Diagnosis of pneumonia is not particularly difficult - the characteristic clinical symptoms and X-ray examination allows you to quickly diagnose. If the diagnosis is impossible - the diagnosis is made based on the clinical picture, percussion and auscultation.

Treatment of pneumonia

To start to treat a pneumonia it is necessary at the first signs of disease. Where the treatment will be performed - in a hospital or at home, is determined by the doctor and depends on the following conditions:

1. age of the child - all children of the first year of life with pneumonia are subject to compulsory admission;
2. severity of the child's condition;
3. presence or absence of concomitant diseases.

Treatment of pneumonia in children includes: proper child care, proper nutrition and drinking regimen, taking antibiotics and inhalation with medications to cough.

Care for a sick child

After the diagnosis of the disease was carried out, the child should be assigned bed rest and organize proper nutrition. The diet for pneumonia should include a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat, cereals and dairy products. Nutrition during illness should be easy and, at the same time, rich and rich in vitamins and nutrients.

In addition, it is very important to adhere to the drinking regime - this will avoid dehydration and improve the condition of the sick child. For children over 2 years old - the norm of the drunk liquid is 2, -25 liters per day, it is best to give the sick child the juices, fruit drinks, compotes, warm milk or still mineral water. Warm alkaline drink is a good way to soften and relieve cough and reduce body temperature.

Drug therapy

1. Antibiotics - the appointment of a course of antibiotics - the gold standard for the treatment of pneumonia. For mild and moderate forms of the disease, antibiotics are given orally, in more severe forms, as injections. Most commonly used are the following antibiotics: penicillins (ampicillin, ammox, amoxiclav), cephalosporins (ceftriaxone, cefuroxine, cephalexin), macrolides (aziromycin, erythromycin). When carrying out antibiotic therapy, it is necessary to prescribe pro and prebiotics for the prevention of dysbacteriosis (linex, hilakforte, bifidum bacterin, lactobacterin). If after the start of antibiotics, within 24-48 hours there was no improvement, it is required to change the way of administration of drugs or to change the group of antibiotic. Depending on the severity of the disease, the course of treatment is from 5-7 to 10-14 days.
2. To get rid of cough and restore normal airway patency appoint inhalation and taking mucolytics and expectorants. Inhalations with antiseptic solutions or bronchodilators are prescribed in the early days of the illness, such inhalations facilitate breathing, help liquefy and facilitate the excretion of phlegm. In addition, inhalations are prescribed during the recovery period - to completely free the respiratory tract from microorganisms and faster regeneration of the mucous membrane. Cough with pneumonia can still a few weeks after recovery to torment the patient and then inhalations with medications will be the best way to get rid of it.
3. After the state of the sick child improves, he is given a general restorative treatment - appoint vitamins, immunostimulants, physiotherapy, therapeutic massage and respiratory gymnastics. This helps to get rid of cough and stagnant phenomena in the lungs.

Prevention of pneumonia in young children includes timely treatment of all colds and foci of infection, increasing the overall immunity of the child - reception vitamins, nutrition with enough vitamins and nutrients, hardening, physiotherapy, walking outdoors and sufficient physical activity.

ingalin.ru

All symptoms of pneumonia

Inflammation of the lungs or, as it is also called, pneumonia is a disease of an infectious nature, it occurs in both adults and young children. Its pathogens can be various bacteria, parasites, viruses, fungi and so on.

Pneumonia can develop as a complication of some illness of the upper respiratory tract, as a result of hypothermia, trauma and so on. As a rule, the symptoms of the disease appear immediately, from the first days of the illness.

Common signs of pneumonia

Usually it is not difficult for doctors to recognize pneumonia, because its symptoms are very clear. The patient has a temperature increase sometimes to significant digits - 39-40 degrees. Simultaneously with this sign, there is a pronounced chill and sweating. Also the first symptoms of this terrible disease include the phenomena of general intoxication. Patients complain of severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, lethargy and loss of appetite.

On examination, you can see that the patient's face is hyperemic, and the blush may be more pronounced on the side where the affected lung is. Very often on the lips appear herpes rashes in the form of vesicles. On the background of dyspnea, which can be 30-40 respiratory movements per minute, cyanosis of the lips may occur. Also, signs of pneumonia include a slight decrease in blood pressure and tachycardia (up to 100 beats per minute).

Often, this lung disease is accompanied by conjunctivitis, that is, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes. And in some cases, the symptoms of this pathology include also icterism, that is, icteric staining of mucous membranes and skin. It is caused by the destruction of erythrocytes in that lobe of the lungs, where the pathological process is localized, liver dystrophy occurs, blood levels of bilirubin increase.

Often the first signs allowing the doctor to suspect the patient of this disease is the occurrence of muscle aches and joints against the background of fever, which are often localized in the chest and upper abdomen. It happens also against the background of a significant increase in temperature, confusion, hallucinations and delirium may occur, and psychosis may develop. All these symptoms should alert the doctor, because pneumonia is a very serious disease, fraught with the development of a number of complications. In order to establish an accurate diagnosis, fluorography, blood and sputum analysis, as well as examination of the function of external respiration.

Pulmonary signs of pneumonia

With such a lung disease as pneumonia, a number of specific symptoms arise, and along with an increase temperature, a cough appears, at first it is dry and painful, and then it becomes wet. Sputum can be a rusty shade due to the fact that it contains an admixture of red blood cells. Sometimes blood sprouts may appear in the sputum, and at times it may be all stained with blood.

On the side where the inflammatory process is localized, there is pain, which is intensified during coughing and deep breathing. Often because of unpleasant feelings a person takes a compulsory position: lies on his side, on the side where inflammation in the lungs. Also, a doctor who knows how inflammation of the lungs manifests will necessarily pay attention to the lag of the affected side of the chest during breathing.

During an objective examination, along with an increase in temperature, percussion the doctor will detect a shortening of percussion sound over the zone of pneumonia. During auscultation, one can hear breathing with a bronchial tinge; in the lungs, small bubble wet crepitic wheezing occurs early. All these signs indicate that the patient needs to conduct a study such as fluorography, that is, to do an x-ray of the lungs. During the period of illness the patient is contagious, so it must be isolated from others, including children.

Focal pneumonia, which usually occurs in patients who have chronic bronchial or cardiovascular disease, the signs usually do not have very pronounced. There is a rise in temperature to 38.5 degrees, when a cough appears mucopurulent sputum, the patient can complain of pain in the chest. At auscultation, crepitating rales in the lungs are heard.

Features of pneumonia in old age

If this severe lung disease has occurred in the elderly, then it is not so easy to recognize it. The disease is manifested by a slight rise in temperature, pain in the chest area with deep breathing, lack of appetite and growing weakness.

Often, patients already in the first days of illness are so weak that they can not get out of bed. Upon examination, the doctor can detect other symptoms of the disease, such as severe shortness of breath, severe tachycardia, dry tongue and a bright blush on one of the cheeks. With auscultation you can hear wet rattles.

In elderly people with severe cardiovascular pathology, septic shock and pulmonary edema can develop. A harbinger of shock is a strong tachycardia. Then there is a sharp weakness, there may be a decrease in temperature, the skin becomes gray, there is a pronounced cyanosis, dyspnea increases, the pressure drops below the 90/60 mark.

A person develops acute heart failure and develops pulmonary edema, so he needs urgent treatment. Doctors, at the first suspicion of this dangerous disease should send the elderly person for examination, and if necessary - and hospitalize.

Features of pneumonia in childhood

Even small children may develop pneumonia, so their parents should closely monitor their health and recognize the symptoms of pneumonia in children at the proper time. The disease usually begins acutely: children are fevered up to 39 degrees, there is shortness of breath (if the baby is less two months, the frequency of respiratory movements in him can reach 60), cyanosis in the nasolabial triangle. Also, children have weakness, they become apathetic and refuse to eat. Diagnosing this disease in children is not so easy, but if it is not done in time serious complications can develop.

In older children, the disease usually occurs in the same way as in adults. In this case, children have fever, there is a cough with phlegm and pains in the chest. The behavior of children also changes: they can become capricious, sluggish, irritable.

Chronic pneumonia

The chronic form of this disease develops as a result of unresolved acute pneumonia. It can occur in both adults and children. During the exacerbation, sweating and general weakness are observed, the temperature rises. There is also a cough with mucopurulent sputum, and sometimes pain in the chest.

With a bronchoectatic form of the disease, the patient can have hemoptysis, changes in fingernails and phalanges of the fingers (like "watch glass" and "drum sticks"), loss of appetite and weight loss. Above the focus of inflammation at auscultation, small bubbles, and sometimes even medium bubbling rales, can be heard, and bronchoconstriction reveals the presence of bronchiectasis. This form of pneumonia in both children and adults often leads to complications, such as spontaneous pneumothorax, pleural empyema and amyloidosis of the kidneys.

Such a pathology as pneumonia requires compulsory treatment in a pulmonary physician. After all, this serious disease can lead to a number of serious, deadly complications.

ingalin.ru

Similar articles