Pneumonia

Pneumonia; lung; child; breathing; cough; streptococcus; pneumococcal; disease; bacterial; mycoplasma; sac; alveoli ; respiratory; infectious; infection; ;

Contents

• How the lungs work
• What is pneumonia?
• Who is at risk?
• Symptons of pneumonia
• Treatment
• What you can do
• Protecting your family from pneumonia
• References

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses, and people who are ill for some other reason seem particularly likely to get pneumonia. People with pneumonia usually get short of breath because the infection blocks airways in the lungs, interfering with the movement of oxygen from the air into the blood.

Alert!

A child who becomes ill with rapid breathing or shortness of breath needs to be seen by a doctor urgently.

How the lungs work

 

• The air that we breathe passes through many small passages (called airways) into very small sacs (called alveoli).
• Oxygen from air passes through the walls of the alveoli into the blood, and some 'waste products' (such as carbon dioxide, and alcohol) from the rest of the body pass from the blood into the air in these alveoli.

 

• This does not work well and the person gets short of breath if
  • the small airways are blocked by mucus (as in pneumonia)
  • the muscles around the airways contract (as in asthma)
  • the alveoli are filled with fluid (as in heart failure).

What is pneumonia

• Pneumonia is an infection of the small airways in the lungs.
• It can be caused by a viral infection or a bacterial infection.
• Often a viral infection (such as a cold or the 'flu') can damage the surfaces of the small airways allowing bacteria to take hold and cause more damage.
• Swelling of the linings of these small airways blocks air from getting into the alveoli. More mucous is also made, blocking airways and filling the alveoli. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases can not move as well into and out of the blood.
• Sometimes just one section (or lobe) of the lung is affected (called lobar pneumonia), but often all parts of the lungs are involved.
• Pneumonia used to be a very feared illness because many people died from it, especially if they were already unwell or were elderly and frail.
• Some people still do die from pneumonia, but in most cases now antibiotics plus the body's own immune system can fight the infection, and most people will recover.

Who is at risk?

Babies and children who have chronic illnesses or disabilities are more likely to get pneumonia.

Symptoms of pneumonia

• Pneumonia frequently comes after an upper respiratory infection such as a cold or the 'flu'. The person may seem to be getting better, then gets more ill again.
• Pneumonia can come on suddenly and severely, or be more gradual and less severe.
• A child with pneumonia will often have a high fever, rapid breathing, and is likely to be quite unwell. Breathing will be hard work - so muscles in the chest wall and neck will be tight (you can see the ribs more clearly than usual).
• The child can be restless or distressed and may go blue (cyanosed) because not enough oxygen is getting into the blood, but the child may not have a cough at this stage.
• A milder illness can show as a cough, low fever and chest pain.
• A fever, rapid breathing and the sounds in the chest (heard using a stethoscope) may be enough to tell if the child has pneumonia, but often an xray is done to help with the diagnosis.
• Coughing, and bringing up sputum (phlegm) can be a sign of recovery, as the fluid which is blocking the airways starts to move.

Treatment

• While many people can recover from pneumonia without treatment (if their immune system is able to fight the infection), recovery may be faster if an antibiotic is used.
• Not all people who have pneumonia need to be in hospital, but doctors usually prefer to have young children in hospital until they start getting better.

What you can do

• If your child seems unwell, particularly if the child has had a cold and is becoming more unwell, see a doctor who can work out if this is pneumonia.
• Children who are ill, including those with pneumonia, need extra drinks and comforting from someone they know well. Rest is needed, but bed rest is not usually necessary, and if the person is sitting up or moving around, the lungs fill with air more easily, helping recovery.
• For more information about caring for a sick child see the topic 'Feeling sick'.

Protecting your family from pneumonia

• Pneumococcal infections are common bacterial causes of pneumonia. Vaccines against pneumococcal disease are available. See the topic 'Pneumococcal disease' for more information.

References

The Australian Immunisation Handbook, 9th Edition, NHMRC 2008.
http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/

National Childhood Pneumococcal Vaccination Program (Australia)

The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).

This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.