On World Pneumonia Day, our specialist details relevant aspects regarding this disease.

The WHO reports 156 million cases of pneumonia a year. This disease can develop at any age. Children under 5 years old, older adults, smokers, and people with chronic diseases and alcoholic history are the most likely to develop it. In the pandemic, the risk factors related to greater severity and mortality are linked to obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases such as kidney failure and pulmonary fibrosis.

Enrique Morello, Pulmonologist at our clinic, explains 6 things we should know about this condition.

1. It is an infectious process in one or both lungs. It affects the pulmonary alveoli, which are small air sacs where gas exchange (oxygen uptake) takes place. These fill with fluids and purulent secretions and consequently, the person has trouble breathing. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and various germs. The most common are viruses and bacteria.

2. Your symptoms vary with age. Young people usually present fever, chills, cough, purulent expectoration, and a sensation of shortness of breath. In older adults, fever is less common. The most common signs are a disorder of consciousness together with drowsiness, hypoactivity, or decreased appetite.

3. To prevent it, people with risk factors should get vaccinated against influenza (annually) and against pneumococcus (depending on the type of vaccine, a booster can be given every 5 years). It is also recommended to stop smoking, keep your defenses high, follow a balanced diet, and have adequate oral hygiene (the germs that most frequently cause pneumonia are found in the upper airway and oral cavity). Poor oral hygiene contributes to the formation of plaques and the colonization of bacteria that can reach the lungs through microaspiration, especially in older adults.

4. Acute respiratory infections are the main cause of death in Perú. One of the reasons for death is the delay in diagnosis and treatment, in addition to the poor socioeconomic conditions (malnutrition, overcrowding, etc.) typical of a developing country.

5. Not all patients with pneumonia need to be hospitalized. This can be determined by the Pulmonologist at the time of evaluation. In general, patients without risk factors and clinical signs of severity may be treated at home.

6. To diagnose pneumonia, the specialist, after conducting a physical examination, may recommend: chest x-ray to determine the extent and location of the infection; blood tests to confirm the infection and try to identify the type of organism; pulse oximetry to measure the level of oxygen in the blood, and sputum test to identify the cause.

The vaccine against pneumonia (pneumococcus) is applied in children within the immunization schedule at 2, 4, and 12 months, and a single application in adults over 60 years old.

It is important to note that pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs and is generally transmitted by direct contact with infected people, by coughing, sneezing, or talking. The pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumonia and other diseases, and may also help reduce complications from COVID-19.

Preventing pneumonia is in our hands!

Dr. Enrique Morello
Pulmonologist  at Clínica Ricardo Palma

Source: El Comercio