Symptoms And Treatment Of A Common Infectious Disease

Pneumonia is classified according to the organism causing the infection and where the infection was acquired. Community-acquired pneumonia is contracted by individuals with minimal contact with health care facilities – such as a hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation facility – and contract the infection by people in the wider community (MedlinePlus, 2016). Hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator assisted pneumonia, can be caused by a wide variety of bacteria and other organisms that can originate from the health care environment (Oxford Journals, 2016). Pneumonia that develops whilst an individual is in hospital, can be extremely severe and is more likely to be fatal. This is due to the fact, that individuals within a health care setting, often already have a serious illness, causing a weakened immune system. Also, the types of bacteria present in hospitals, are often more dangerous and resistant to treatment – then the bacteria found in the outside community (MedlinePlus, 2016). Aspiration pneumonia – or anaerobic pneumonia - results after the inhalation of a foreign matter into the lungs. If foods, liquids, saliva, or vomit make their way into the airways or lungs, instead of the oesophagus and stomach, it can cause aspiration pneumonia. It is more likely in individuals with a disturbed gag reflex – commonly due to having a brain injury or being under the influence of drugs or anaesthetics (MedlinePlus,

This paper explores Pneumonia and the respiratory disease process associated with bacterial and viral pathogens most commonly located in the lung. The paper examines the process, symptoms and treatments most commonly viewed in patient cases of Pneumonia. My goal is to educate the reader and to warn of the

When CAP occurs, it is determined if the need for hospitalisation is necessary as it depends on the seriousness of the infection. Gram- positive organisms such as S. pneumoniae, naturally occur in the upper respiratory tract, is one cause of lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia, but is also a culprit in causing upper respiratory infections like otitis media. H. influenzae is just one of many bacterial infections that can result in CAP, it therefore can be subacute and present with a low-grade fever and a persistent cough for a few weeks before a patient has a diagnosis. Adults that have very little or no immunity are an easier target for certain viruses such as that of the Cytomegalovirus, which is a viral pathogen that is commonly contracted within the community, other common virus are adenovirus and herpes simplex. When a virus starts to become acute, it starts an infection within the ciliated cells within the airway. When pneumonia occurs from this viral infection, the inflammatory action starts to seep into the alveolar areas and leads to the problem of excess exudation and oedema within the respiratory tract. It is sometimes often difficult to differentiate symptoms of a viral pneumonia from that of bacterial pneumonia (Smeltzer &

At around 0953 on June 8, 2017, I contacted Mrs. BV the director of the geriatric social worker who is in charge of older adults home, long-term and nursing facilities visitations in the community. She has few different ways of collecting her data, one of them is by interviewing residents face-to-face in their homes. She stated that this method has been efficient because she gets honest information from the residents by speaking to them directly. She also reviews long-term and nursing facilities including the city health department data to compare with her assessment findings. After evaluating all the data, community-acquired pneumonia was identified as the priority health problem due to the lack of knowledge on signs and symptoms of the disease.

Infectious disease are diseases or illnesses caused by micro-organisms that become harmful in the body, these micro-organisms are called pathogens. Pathogens are any organism that cause disease, these can include bacteria, viruses and fungi. Not all the micro-organisms mentioned above are harmful to the body, although, under certain conditions such as an immunocompromised individual or the age of a person, can produce an onset of signs and symptoms of an infectious disease. Infectious diseases are communicable, which means they can be spread from person to person, either through direct contact or through bodily fluids. Infectious diseases can also be spread infected vectors which are inhaled or

The client’s secondary diagnosis is community-acquired pneumonia. Typically, immune defense mechanisms, such as the secretion of alveolar macrophages and immunoglobulins A and G, protect the lower airway from infection. Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia, invades the lungs. The organism triggers an inflammatory response, resulting in increased blood flow and vascular permeability. Neutrophil activation occurs, to surround the kill the invading organism. A combination of the offending organism, neutrophils and fluid from the surrounding blood vessels flood the alveoli, inhibiting normal oxygen transportation. This filling of the alveoli may lead to tachypnea, tachycardia and dyspnea. Further obstruction of airflow and an increased impairment of gas exchange occur as mucous production increases. When

Hospital acquired infections or healthcare associated infections (HAI’S) which is also known as nosocomial infections have been a burden to society for decades, which has gained the top ten positions in the cause of death in the united states (CDC, 2015), although there is a decrease it still poses as a problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are several types of healthcare associated infections, which “includes central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and ventilator-associated pneumonia infections (VAP)” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). Some other common types of HAI’s which are also Multidrug-Resistant Organisms

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung which results into an excess of fluid or pus accumulating into the alveoli of the lung. Pneumonia impairs gas exchange which leads to hypoxemia and is acquire by inhaling a contagious organism or an irritating agent. (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Fungal, bacteria and viruses are the most common organisms that can be inhale. Pneumonia could be community-acquired or health care associated. Community –acquired pneumonia (CAP) occurs out of a healthcare facility while health care associated pneumonia (HAP) is acquired in a healthcare facility. HAP are more resistant to antibiotic and patients on ventilators and those receiving kidney dialysis have a higher risk factor. Infants, children and the elderly also have a higher risk of acquiring pneumonia due to their immune system inability to fight the virus. Pneumonia can also be classified as aspiration pneumonia if it arises by inhaling saliva, vomit, food or drink into the lungs. Patients with abnormal gag reflex, dysphagia, brain injury, and are abusing drug or alcohol have a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia (Mayo Clinic, 2013). In the case of patient E.O., this patient had rhonchi in the lower lobe and the upper lobe sound was coarse and diminished. Signs and symptoms of pneumonia include difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, fever, headache, chills, cough, confusion, pain in muscle or

Nosocomial pneumonia is a lung infection that can occur in patients 48-72 hours after being admitted to a healthcare facility. This type of pneumonia occurs mostly in patients that are on a ventilator, a machine that helps them to breathe, or patients who are critically ill and have a compromised immune system. Hospital-acquired pneumonia can also be spread by healthcare workers, who can pass germs from their hands or clothes from person to person (direct contact) or by droplets (coughing, sneezing, etc.). Some ways to prevent this type of infection from happening is by placing the patient in a “semi-upright or upright positioning [that may] reduce the risk of aspiration and pneumonia” and noninvasive ventilation using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)” (Sethi, 2017). Generally, the main pathogens that cause this infection are “Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus species, Haemophilus influenzae, Enterobacter species, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Proteus species, Serratia marcescens and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus" (Rotstein et al., 2008). Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a very important concern.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is found worldwide. The common host is the human body, in which it often does not cause disease but at other times it can cause diseses in particular, pneumonia. It also causes otitis media, bacteremia, meningitis, peritonitis, and sinusitis. The route by which this organism is spread is from human to human in the form of aerosol droplets. When inside the host the organism’s primary site of pneumococcal colonization is the nasopharynx. From this site it can aspire to the lungs, eventually spread to the blood and traverse the blood-brain barrier to the meninges, once inside the blood it can cause infections throughout the body. Symptoms of the disease include sudden

Pneumonia is an illness of the lower respiratory tract in which the lungs become inflamed and congested and alveolar spaces are filled with fluid and cells-polymorphs and lymphocytes (Mandell L.A). It is an inflammatory condition of the lung and it is one of the most serious infections, causing two million deaths annually among the young and elderly. Pneumonia is the largest killer, accounting for 28% to 34% of all child deaths below five years of age in low-income countries and is an important cause of mortality in the elderly in high-income countries (Suárez).

M. pneumoniae is generally referred to as primary atypical or walking pneumonia because the symptoms are not as sever as pneumonia. The symptoms include a dry hacking cough, fever, and headache. The symptoms will last for about 2 to 3 weeks. M. pneumoniae affects people worldwide. Typically only 33 % of people who have M. pneumoniae will get atypical pneumonia. The majority, 77 %, will come down with an upper tract infection (tracheaobronchitis). (Pulmonary Disorders pg 609) M. pneumoniae is transmitted through aerosol droplets. The bacterium is capable of infecting anyone at any time but it has a pattern of coming in the fall and winter and causing an outbreak every 4 to 8 years, although more tight communities occur more frequently. The pathogen rarely occurs on children less than 4 years of age. Since the bacterium lacks a cell wall, B-lactums are futile against them. The body’s immune system is responsible for killing the pathogen. There were 2 million cases in the US with 100,000 requiring hospitalization. The mortality rate is very low with only occasional fatalities among the elderly and sickle cell anemia persons. ( ).

The clinical manifestations of pneumonia will be different according to the causative organism and the patient’s underlying conditions and/or comorbidities (Smeltzer, et al). Some of the manifestations are

This is a case of a 74 year old woman who was diagnosed with Community Acquired Pneumonia.

The patient's overall symptoms and lab work suggest that she is suffering from hospital acquired pneumonia. Currently the patient is presenting a moist chesty cough. Additionally, her heart rate is elevated, her oxygenation is low, and her RR is high. She has a raised white blood cell count, which indicates infection. Finally, the patient is acting confused and disoriented, which can be the direct result of a lack of oxygenation to the brain. All of these symptoms point to pneumonia (Torres, 1999).