Types of pneumonia in children
Understanding what pneumonia is in a child does not give a complete picture of the nature of the disease and the methods of its treatment. Inflammation of the lungs can have a different etiology and location location. Classify the disease can be as follows:
- In the place of origin:
- nosocomial;
- community-acquired;
- perinatal.
- focal - the affected areas are clearly limited (an area of at least 1 cm). Foci can be single and multiple;
- segmental - several segments of the lung become inflamed;
- croupous - defeat covers the lobe of the lung;
- interstitial - the connective tissue is inflamed.
- bacterial - inflammation is provoked by ingestion of pathogenic bacteria. These are pneumococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Hemophilus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella;
- virus - viruses weaken protective mechanisms and promote rapid attachment of bacterial infection;
- atypical - occurs as a result of infection with chlamydia, mycoplasma, legionella;
- aspiration - develops when a foreign body, liquid or food enters the bronchial tree.
- acute;
- protracted.
Signs of pneumonia in the child
Clinical manifestations of inflammation depend on the type of pathogen, the degree of prevalence of the process and age. Pneumonia in preschool children and older has a pronounced character:
- body temperature is high and keeps for a long time;
- there is a debilitating, deep cough;
- breathing becomes rapid, the wheezing is heard;
- when inhaling, the musculature of the thorax is involved;
- the nasolabial triangle acquires a cyanotic shade, limbs swell, heart rate is lost, the child sweats, quickly becomes tired;
- the baby refuses food, loses body weight.
Difficulties with how to recognize pneumonia in a child can arise if the causative agent of the disease is chlamydia. On the right path, catarrhal manifestations in the throat, enlarged lymph nodes, are knocked down. Mask under pharyngitis can inflammation caused by infection with mycoplasma. The disease has mild symptoms, it is: subfebrile temperature, sore throat, runny nose, headache, invasive dry cough. Legionellosis pneumonia in children is distinguished by a bright clinical picture, misleading can: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea.
Pneumonia - symptoms in children without fever
It is more difficult to recognize a slow inflammation of the lungs. This form of the disease is often diagnosed in babies. The disease proceeds without fever and cough. The general clinical picture is similar to a common cold. An experienced physician is able to recognize the signs of pneumonia in a child without a temperature:
- the crumb becomes sluggish and capricious;
- poorly eats and sleeps;
- there is a cyanosis in the nasolabial triangle;
- tachycardia is heard, the wings of the nose swell;
- there may be diarrhea, skin rashes.
At an early stage of the disease and with latent pneumonia, when listening, the pediatrician can note the presence or absence of wheezing in the lungs. When tapping the chest - to reveal a shortening of the sound over the lesion. This sign is considered secondary and not seen in all children, therefore, to confirm the diagnosis, an X-ray examination, sputum examination for the microflora and a blood test are required.
Treatment of pneumonia in children
Inflammation of the lungs is a disease requiring urgent antibiotic therapy. Focusing on the age of patients, their condition, the degree of responsibility of parents, the doctor determines how to treat pneumonia in children - in a hospital or at home. Indications for hospitalization are:
- temperature above 38 degrees, which lasts longer than 3 days;
- signs of oxygen starvation and intoxication.
Antibiotics for pneumonia in children
Immediately after the examination, the pediatrician empirically prescribes the child antibiotics, based on his own experience and collected anamnesis. The effectiveness of the selected antibacterial drug can be assessed after 24-48 hours after administration. The right medicine will have its effect: the baby's temperature will drop, the general condition will improve. Children with acute inflammation pneumonia are prescribed parenterally, when the condition stabilizes, they switch to oral administration.
Pneumonia in children is treated with the antibiotics of the following groups:
- penicillin and its semisynthetic derivatives (Amoxilav, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin);
- cephalosporins (Cefalexin, Cefix);
- macrolides (Erythromycin, Azithromycin).
Treatment of pneumonia in children with antibiotics in the case of a mild form of the disease is carried out at home. The medicine for the baby is administered orally for 5-6 days. Additionally, at the doctor's discretion, expectorants, bronchodilators, antiallergic drugs, vitamins and prebiotics are prescribed. In a complex with medicamental therapy physiotherapy procedures are prescribed-microwave, electrophoresis, inductothermy. Effective in this case, exercise therapy, massages.
Treatment of pneumonia in children at home
Taking medication, performing procedures, creating favorable conditions are the primary tasks of adults. The baby's diet should be full and varied, the air in the children's room is cool and damp, the drinking regime is plentiful. At high temperature, the baby must be in bed. You can use folk remedies for pneumonia in children after the doctor's permission. You can not systematically give a child antipyretic drugs - this tactic will not allow you to really evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy and muffle your own immune response of the body.
Rehabilitation after pneumonia in children
After recovery the child is waiting for the rehabilitation period. It should include a number of procedures and measures aimed at restoring vitality and health:
- inhalation;
- heat treatment;
- elimination of foci with chronic infection (caries, sinusitis, tonsillitis);
- massages, physiotherapy exercises;
- oxygen cocktails and foams;
- walks in the fresh air, excluding hypothermia;
- reception of vitamins and immunomodulating preparations;
- recovery after pneumonia in a child involves monitoring his condition by the treating doctor.
Prevention of pneumonia in children
Prevent the disease can be by increasing the body's immune forces, the correct scheme of hardening. Reduce the seasonal incidence of sports help play. If possible, it is necessary to exclude contacts with sick peers and adults. Timely vaccination against pneumonia for children can save them from pneumonia. Preventive measures can also be regarded as vaccination against viral diseases.
Causes of pneumonia in children
The risk of developing pneumonia is especially high in small children. It's connected with:
- physiological characteristics;
- immature immune system;
- frequent abdominal and abdominal breathing problems that make gas exchange difficult.
In children older, the causes of the development of the disease are:
- transferred viral and infectious diseases;
- weakened immune system;
- stressful situations;
- second hand smoke;
- lack of vitamins;
- supercooling;
- ingestion of vomitive masses, food, foreign bodies.
Part of the truth is the statement that pneumonia can be infected by airborne droplets. Therefore, parents should be aware of the way pneumonia is transmitted to children:
- when contact, through unwashed hands, the disease of mycoplasma etiology is transmitted;
- through the water supply system, breathing in water spray can be "caught" by Legionella. From the person to the person this bacterium does not pass;
- with bacterial and viral pneumonia, there is a risk of contracting the agent that caused inflammation. Influenza viruses, pneumococcal infection and others are transmitted by airborne droplets.
Consequences of pneumonia in children
With adequate treatment, the child is quickly restored. He returns to his excellent state of health, his former appetite and good mood. Dangerous complications of pneumonia in children requiring emergency measures are rare, they include:
- bacteremia - the entry of bacteria into the blood and other organs;
- abscess of the lung - pus accumulation in the organ;
- exudative pleurisy - accumulation of fluid in the lung;
- shortness of breath - the child loses the ability to breathe in enough air.