Topic > Pneumonia Review

The term pneumonia describes inflammation of the parenchymal structures of the lung, such as the alveoli and bronchioles. Pneumonia is most commonly classified based on where or how it was acquired: community-acquired, aspiration, hospital-acquired (nosocomial), and ventilator-associated pneumonia. It can also be classified by the area of ​​the lung affected: lobar pneumonia, bronchial pneumonia, and acute interstitial pneumonia, or by the causative organism. Pneumonia in children can also be classified based on signs and symptoms as not severe, severe, or very severe. People with infectious pneumonia often have a productive cough, fever accompanied by shaking chills, shortness of breath, sharp or stabbing chest pain during deep breaths, and an increased breathing rate. (1, 2). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Pneumonia is usually caused by a virus or bacterial infection. Both viral and bacterial causes of pneumonia can occur in up to 45% of children and 15% of adults. Bacteria are the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in nearly 50% of cases. Other commonly isolated bacteria include Haemophilus influenza in 20%, Chlamydophila pneumonia in 13%, and Mycoplasma pneumonia in 3% of cases. In children, for approximately 15% of pneumonia cases, several drug-resistant versions of the above-mentioned infections are becoming more common, including drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (3, 4) . Commonly viral Infectious agents of pneumonia include rhinovirus, coronavirus, influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and parainfluenza. Fungal pneumonia is rare but occurs more commonly in individuals with a weakened immune system or other medical problems. Additionally, a variety of parasites can affect the lungs. Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia or noninfectious pneumonia is a class of widespread lung diseases (3, 5). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 156 million cases of pneumonia each year in children under the age of five, of which up to 20 million cases are severe enough to require hospitalization and 1.2 million of deaths each year, representing 18% of all deaths in this age group and mainly affecting children in developing countries. In developing countries, respiratory tract infections are not only more widespread but also more serious, causing more than 2 million deaths per year; pneumonia is the leading cause of infant death in these societies. More than 60% of that pneumonia incidence is reportedly concentrated in just two regions, namely Southeast Asia and Africa, each carrying 35 and 61 million new infections respectively in a year. In the developed world, the annual incidence of pneumonia is estimated to be 33 per 10,000 in children under the age of five (6-8). There are several risk factors for pneumonia for children in developing countries, including malnutrition, low birth weight, exclusive breastfeeding in the first 4 months of age, lack of vaccinations (first 12 months of age), air pollution indoor air and overcrowding. Possible risk factors include housing conditions, secondhand smoke, maternal education, daycare attendance, birth order, and environmental factors such as humidity, high altitude, and air pollution external. Other risk factors include; comorbid diseases (e.g. diarrhea, measles, recurrent URTIs, asthma, HIV and malaria), micronutrient deficiencies such as (6, 11, 12).(13, 14).