Pneumonia Journal Article
Kellie Hale
Mohave Community College
NUR 122
Mrs. Port
9/8/2016
“In 2012, 1.1 million people were hospitalized in the US for treatment of pneumonia. The average hospital stay for these patients was 5.2 days. There were close to 50,000 deaths due to pneumonia and 95% of them were over the age of 65 (“Pneumonia”, 2016). Pneumonia is an serious condition and the pathogens that lead to pneumonia continue to spread throughout the hospitals and communities. Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem today so prevention and early treatment is very important.
Pneumonia is lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sac may fill up with fluid or pus. The strong internal defenses present in healthy individuals usually protect the body and lungs from these invading bacteria. But when a patient is immunocompromised they lack adequate functioning of these defense mechanisms making them more susceptible for acquiring pneumonia. Some people, such as organ transplant patients, patients taking immunosuppressant drugs, patients with NG tubes, are at increased risk. Other risk factors for pneumonia include smoking, excessive alcohol intake, inability to swallow due to stroke/neuromuscular disease, age over 65, malnourishment, hypoxia, and chronic lung diseases (“Pneumonia”, 2016).
There are several different ways that pneumonia is classified such as hospital acquired pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and community acquired pneumonia. Hospital acquired pneumonia, HAP, is an infection that was not present at the time of admission but develops 48 hours or more afterwards. Some of the most common bacteria in this class are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aure...
... middle of paper ...
...tered if needed. The nurse will assess pulse oximetry readings, respiratory rate, and pain level. Pain will be treated with prescribed pain meds, fluids and electrolytes will be given as needed, and other meds such as bronchodilators, antibiotics, and/or antivirals will likely be prescribed. Pneumonia is very common illness but it can be fatal if not treated, so education regarding prevention and treatment is very important. Pneumococcal and influenza vaccines are available for prevention. Healthy eating and exercise are great ways to stay healthy and build a strong immune system. Proper fluid intake is very important, at least 6 to 8 glasses a day. Hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of infection.
References
Pneumonia. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2016, from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Continuing-Education/CE-Articles/Pneumonia.aspx
Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a very common hospital acquired infection, especially in pediatric intensive care units, ranking as the second most common (Foglia, Meier, & Elward, 2007). It is defined as pneumonia that develops 48 hours or more after mechanical ventilation begins. A VAP is diagnosed when new or increase infiltrate shows on chest radiograph and two or more of the following, a fever of >38.3C, leukocytosis of >12x10 9 /mL, and purulent tracheobronchial secretions (Koenig & Truwit, 2006). VAP occurs when the lower respiratory tract that is sterile is introduced microorganisms are introduced to the lower respiratory tract and parenchyma of the lung by aspiration of secretions, migration of aerodigestive tract, or by contaminated equipment or medications (Amanullah & Posner, 2013). VAP occurs in approximately 22.7% of patients who are receiving mechanical ventilation in PICUs (Tablan, Anderson, Besser, Bridges, & Hajjeh, 2004). The outcomes of VAP are not beneficial for the patient or healthcare organization. VAP adds to increase healthcare cost per episode of between $30,000 and $40,000 (Foglia et al., 2007) (Craven & Hjalmarson, 2010). This infection is also associated with increase length of stay, morbidity and high crude mortality rates of 20-50% (Foglia et al., 2007)(Craven & Hjalmarson, 2010). Currently, the PICU has implemented all of the parts of the VARI bundle except the daily discussion of readiness to extubate. The VARI bundle currently includes, head of the bed greater then or equal to 30 degrees, use oral antiseptic (chlorhexidine) each morning, mouth care every 2 hours, etc. In the PICU at children’s, the rates for VAP have decreased since the implementation of safety ro...
With additional bodily fluid and less cilia to dispose it, patients build up an endless hack that raises sputum, a blend of bodily fluid and cell debris. Stagnant bodily fluid in the respiratory tract gives a development medium to microorganisms. This can prompt disease and bronchial aggravation, with side effects that incorporate dyspnea, hypoxia, cyanosis, slight fever, chills, and assaults of hacking (Saladin, 2010). In addition, bronchitis can cause shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, and tickle of the
... bedside, and reminders to take antibiotics. It is critical in plan of discharge that the patient finishes out the antibiotic regimen if prescribed, also encourage and explain the necessity of the antibiotics in treating the condition. Lastly the patient must avoid overexertion to prevent relapse or exacerbation of the infection.
later brings up green and yellow mucus. The cough may persist to 4 to 6
In this day and age, the general population assumes that when someone is hospitalized the risk for getting a new infection while in the hospital is minimal. However, in the United States the risk for gaining a hospital-associated infection has become a serious concern and a costly one at that. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that hospital-associated infections have cost an estimate of 35.7 to 45 billion dollars to United States hospital when 20% of these infections could have been preventable with the correct interventions. One of the most common hospital-associated infections has become hospital-acquired pneumonia. (Scott II, 2009) This type of pneumonia is easily preventable if healthcare workers would comply with a few simple interventions that should already be in place in their facility. While these interventions have been proven effective, full compliance is still lacking and in the end it is being left to up the health care staff to become aware of the results.
The patient in the case study has been admitted to hospital with an infective exacerbation of his COPD. Respiratory infection causes increased inflammation an...
In accordance with the World Health Organization, pneumonia still remains one of the main killers of children under the age of five, taking more than 1.1 million lives of boys and girls annually (WHO Pneumonia factsheet, 2013). Pneumonia is more prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It is well known that pneumonia is a disease of respiratory system that affects the alveoli, which are the constituent part of the lungs. Normally alveoli fill with air during the breath of a healthy person, while the one with pneumonia has alveoli, which are filled with fluid and pus; hence the breathing process is painful and limits the oxygen consumption by organism. Pneumonia can be caused by several infectious agents, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. The most common are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Pneumocystis jiroveci. However, significant proportion of all pneumonia is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. In fact, the diseases caused by S. pneumoniae also include sinusitis, meningitis, otitis and some other problems, including septic arthritis, endocarditis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (WHO Pneumonia factsheet, 2013). The main aim of this paper is to familiarize the reader with Streptococcus pneumoniae and one particular disease that it causes - pneumonia.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are preventable and pose a threat to hospitals and patients; increasing the cost, nominally and physically, for both. Pneumonia makes up approximately 15% of all HAI and is the leading cause of nosocomial deaths. Pneumonia is most frequently caused by bacterial microorganisms reaching the lungs by way of aspiration, inhalation or the hematogenous spread of a primary infection. There are two categories of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP); Health-Care Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) and Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
The purpose of this literature review is to assess and appraise research studies in the last five years, investigating the latest management of community acquired pneumonia in immunocompromised adults patients. A literature search was performed using CINAHL Plus, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, UpToDate and PubMed databases. Boolean terms included: community acquired pneumonia, pneumonia, immunocompromised, adults, management, treatments, preventions, effectiveness, antibiotics, promotion, and outcomes. For each database, advance search was used and then limitations included systematic reviews, retrospective analysis, randomized control trial studies that were published, peer reviewed, full text, year of publication between 2010-2015, and English language, were applied.
Bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics is a major problem not only for the United States, but worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) the cause is related to “widespread overuse, as well as inappropriate use, of antibiotics that is fueling antibiotic resistance”. According to World Health Organization (2013) resistance is a global concern for several reasons; it impedes the control of infectious diseases, increases healthcare costs, and the death rate for patients with resistant bacterial infections is twice of those with non-resistant bacterial infections.
This patient is a 62-year-old female who required inpatient hospitalization due to right-sided empyema questionable secondary to community-acquired pneumonia versus aspiration pneumonia. Ms. W was transferred patient from Mercy Folsom for her right-sided empyema to the Emergency Department. She presented to Mercy Folsom with 4-weeks history of shortness of breath and cough as well as chest pain. She went to her primary care physician, and she was given Z-Pak at that time but her symptoms were not resolving. A chest x-ray was done, and she was informed that there was no evidence of pneumonia. Then, she was given cough medication and inhaler for possible COPD, but her symptoms were still not improving. She went again to her primary care physician
However, increasing antibiotic resistance patterns among intensive care unit pathogens, cultivated by empiric-broad spectrum antibiotic regimens, characterizes the variable concerns. Recent literature point that antibiotic use before the development of VAP is associated with increased risk for potentially resistant gran-negative infections and Methcillin-resistant Staphylococcus auereus (MRSA)
What if there were no treatment for strep throat? Or pneumonia? Or sinus infections? It is hard to imagine life without medicine for these illnesses. But what if the antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections such as strep throat and pneumonia stopped working? What if the bacteria were stronger than the antibiotics? The threat of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections is an increasing concern for healthcare providers, and it is important to reduce the misuse and overuse of antibiotics to maintain control of bacterial diseases.
Infections such as pneumonia, upper respiratory infection, and acute bronchitis all have similar signs and symptoms, but there are key findings in the exam that might cause a physician to form a differential diagnosis for each one specifically.
Chronic bronchitis is a disorder that causes inflammation to the airway, mainly the bronchial tubules. It produces a chronic cough that lasts three consecutive months for more than two successive years (Vijayan,2013). Chronic Bronchitis is a member of the COPD family and is prominently seen in cigarette smokers. Other factors such as air pollutants, Asbestos, and working in coal mines contributes to inflammation. Once the irritant comes in contact with the mucosa of the bronchi it alters the composition causing hyperplasia of the glands and producing excessive sputum (Viayan,2013). Goblet cells also enlarge to contribute to the excessive secretion of sputum. This effects the cilia that carry out the mechanism of trapping foreign bodies to allow it to be expelled in the sputum, which are now damaged by the irritant making it impossible for the person to clear their airway. Since the mechanism of airway clearance is ineffective, the secretion builds up a thickened wall of the bronchioles causing constriction and increasing the work of breathing. The excessive build up of mucous could set up pneumonia. The alveoli are also damaged enabling the macrophages to eliminate bacteria putting the patient at risk for acquiring an infection.