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Pneumonia Symptoms
Pneumonia is a general term
that refers to an infection of the lungs, which can be caused by a variety of microorganisms,
including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
Often pneumonia begins after
an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat).
When this happens, symptoms of pneumonia begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or
sore throat.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of pneumonia vary,
depending on the age of the child and the cause of the pneumonia. Some common
symptoms include:
Sometimes a child's only
symptom is rapid breathing. Sometimes when the pneumonia is in the lower part
of the lungs near the abdomen, there may be no breathing problems at all, but
there may be fever and abdominal pain or vomiting.
When pneumonia is caused by
bacteria, an infected child usually becomes sick relatively quickly and
experiences the sudden onset of high fever and unusually rapid breathing. When
pneumonia is caused by viruses, symptoms tend to appear more gradually and are
often less severe than in bacterial pneumonia. Wheezing may be more common in
viral pneumonia.
Some types of pneumonia cause
symptoms that give important clues about which germ is causing the illness. For
example, in older children and adolescents, pneumonia due to Mycoplasma
(also called walking pneumonia) is notorious for causing a sore throat and
headache in addition to the usual symptoms of pneumonia.
In infants, pneumonia due to chlamydia
may cause conjunctivitis (pinkeye) with only mild illness and no fever. When
pneumonia is due to whooping
cough (pertussis), the child may have long coughing spells, turn blue from
lack of air, or make a classic "whoop" sound when trying to take a
breath.
Description
Pneumonia is a lung infection
that can be caused by different types of germs, including bacteria, viruses,
fungi, and parasites. Although different types of pneumonia tend to affect
children in different age groups, pneumonia is most commonly caused by viruses.
Some viruses that cause pneumonia are adenoviruses,
rhinovirus, influenza
virus (flu), respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV), and parainfluenza virus (the virus that causes croup).
Incubation
The incubation period for
pneumonia varies, depending on the type of virus or bacteria causing the
infection. Some common incubation periods are: respiratory syncytial virus, 4
to 6 days; influenza, 18 to 72 hours.
Duration
With treatment, most types of
bacterial pneumonia can be cured within 1 to 2 weeks. Viral pneumonia may last
longer. Mycoplasmal pneumonia may take 4 to 6 weeks to resolve completely.
Contagiousness
The viruses and bacteria that
cause pneumonia are contagious and are usually found in fluid from the mouth or
nose of an infected person. Illness can spread when an infected person coughs
or sneezes on a person, by sharing drinking glasses and eating utensils, and
when a person touches the used tissues or handkerchiefs of an infected person.
Prevention
There are vaccines
to prevent infections by viruses or bacteria that cause some types of
pneumonia.
Children usually receive
routine immunizations against Haemophilus influenzae and pertussis
(whooping cough) beginning at 2 months of age. (The pertussis immunization is
the "P" part of the routine DTaP injection.) Vaccines are now also
given against the pneumococcus organism (PCV), a common cause of bacterial
pneumonia.
Children with chronic
illnesses, who are at special risk for other types of pneumonia, may receive
additional vaccines or protective immune medication. The flu vaccine is
strongly recommended for children with chronic illnesses such as chronic heart
or lung disorders or asthma,
as well as otherwise healthy children.
Because they are at higher
risk for serious complications, infants who were born prematurely
may be given treatments that temporarily protect against RSV, which can lead to
pneumonia in younger children.
Doctors may give prophylactic
(disease-preventing) antibiotics to prevent pneumonia in children who have been
exposed to someone with certain types of pneumonia, such as pertussis. Children
with HIV
infection may also receive prophylactic antibiotics to prevent pneumonia
caused by Pneumocystis carinii.
Antiviral medication is now
available, too, and can be used to prevent some types of viral pneumonia or to
make symptoms less severe.
In addition, regular tuberculosis
screening is performed yearly in some high-risk areas because early detection
will prevent active tuberculosis infection including pneumonia.
In general, pneumonia is not
contagious, but the upper respiratory viruses that lead to it are, so it is
best to keep your child away from anyone who has an upper respiratory tract
infection. If someone in your home has a respiratory infection or throat
infection, keep his or her drinking glass and eating utensils separate from
those of other family members, and wash your hands frequently, especially if
you are handling used tissues or dirty handkerchiefs.
When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Call your child's doctor
immediately if your child has any of the signs and symptoms of pneumonia, but
especially if your child:
Professional Treatment
Doctors usually make the
diagnosis of pneumonia after a physical examination. The doctor may possibly
use a chest X-ray, blood tests,
and (sometimes) bacterial cultures of mucus produced by coughing when making a
diagnosis.
In most cases, pneumonia can
be treated with oral antibiotics given to your child at home. The type of
antibiotic used depends on the type of pneumonia.
Children may be hospitalized
for treatment if they have pneumonia caused by pertussis or other bacterial
pneumonia that causes high fevers and respiratory distress. They may also be
hospitalized if supplemental oxygen is needed, if they have lung infections
that may have spread into the bloodstream, if they have chronic illnesses that
affect the immune system, if they are vomiting so much that they cannot take
medicine by mouth, or if they have recurrent episodes of pneumonia.
Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier,
MD
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