Pneumonia is one of the most common respiratory disorders since the principal part of the population experienced it at least once. Although the antibiotic treatment is advanced nowadays, “community-acquired pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in developed countries,” which is often caused by the treatment failure and the severeness of the disease acquired (Torres et al., 2015, p. 678). Therefore, it is essential to discuss the symptoms of the disease, the tools of the screening assessment, proper diagnostic tests, and the treatment plans.
First of all, it is critical to dwell on the symptoms of pneumonia. There are signs which are non-distinct for the different varieties of the disease. Those symptoms include coughing (which is often accompanied by the presence of phlegm), fever conditions (including sweating, chills, and dizziness); also the shortness of breath and the chest pains are present as well. However, there are more distinct features which characterize the more particular varieties of pneumonia. For example, viral pneumonia starts with the symptoms similar to flu, and it is also characterized by the higher level of fever. Adult and geriatric patients may experience the body temperature that is lower than average.
The next important point of the discussion is the tools of screening assessment. Individuals at the age of 65 years and older are at significantly higher risk of acquiring the disease because their immune system is weakened, and they often suffer from chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and heart failure. As pneumonia is very contagious and it is usually community-acquired, the screening of the disease is crucial. Claessens et al. (2015) observe that many patients who are suspected to have community-acquired pneumonia would vastly benefit from the early chest computed tomography scan (p. 981). According to the article, CT scan immensely improves the quality of the pneumonia screening, which respectively affects the diagnosis and treatment positively.
However, touching upon the question of the pneumonia diagnostics, one can trace numerous ways of identifying the disease. As well as with the symptoms, there are fundamental diagnostic techniques and more specific ones. In the majority of cases, a doctor would first ask the patient about the appearance of the symptoms and the patient’s medical history in general, and then he would perform a basic physical exam, including listening to the patient’s lungs with the help of the stethoscope. Nevertheless, in some cases a more specific examination is needed, which includes sputum and urine tests (because they help to identify the cause of the infection), and, in more severe conditions, the bronchoscopy is performed.
Once the disease is diagnosed, it is urgent to appoint the adequate treatment course. The treatment depends on the type of acquired pneumonia, the level of its severity, and the general health condition. Bacterial pneumonia is treated with the oral antibiotics, and, in addition, such medications as aspirin and ibuprofen are used to relieve the pain. It is also mentioned by Torres et al. (2015) that “corticosteroids are the most effective and widely used anti-inflammatory drugs,” and their use decreases the treatment failure (pp. 682-685). However, if the disease appears to be more severe, the hospitalization is needed because the doctors can use more advanced techniques such as respiratory and oxygen therapy, and also they can inject antibiotics intravenously, which is more efficient. Non-pharmacological treatment includes personal hygiene and avoiding the infected individuals.
In conclusion, one can observe that pneumonia is a significant disease due to the possible complications, especially for the older adults. It is critical to detect the disease in very early stages because it is easier to prevent than to treat. The adequate diagnosis and treatment is also a key to the fastest recovery possible.
References
Claessens, Y. E., Debray, M. P., Tubach, F., Brun, A. L., Rammaert, B., Hausfater, P.,… Mayaud, C. (2015). Early chest computed tomography scan to assist diagnosis and guide treatment decision for suspected community-acquired pneumonia. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 192(8), 974-982.
Torres, A., Sibila, O., Ferrer, M., Polverino, E., Menendez, R., Mensa, J.,… Niederman, M. S. (2015). Effect of corticosteroids on treatment failure among hospitalized patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia and high inflammatory response: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 313(7), 677-686.