Introduction
The patient in our case study was
presenting with signs and symptoms of community acquired pneumonia. It appears as if this infection has initiated
the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). This syndrome can lead to
sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), and then death if not
treated quickly with antibiotics, fluid resuscitation, and vasopressors if
needed.
Types,
Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Pneumonia
The patient in our case exhibits
many signs and symptoms of pneumonia such as cough, dyspnea, fever, and
right-sided crackles on auscultation. Pneumonia is an acute infection of the
lower respiratory tract and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the
United States (McCance & Huether 2006). It usually results from a viral
infection that starts in the upper airways. There are many factors that
contribute to a person’s risk of developing pneumonia. A few of these factors
include; being elderly, excessive use of alcohol, having a compromised immune
system, endotracheal intubation, smoking, malnutrition, underlying lung
disease, and occupational exposure to various infectious agents. Possible
causative agents of pneumonia include Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria,
mycoplasmas, chlamydias, viruses, fungi, or protozoa (Burton & Engelkirk
2004). Bacterial pneumonia is more common in adults than viral pneumonia. Viral
pneumonia although usually mild, can lead to more serious bacterial infections
(McCance & Huether 2006).
Comments (0):