Pneumonia Symptoms, Signs and Treatment
Published: 03 December 2023
Published: 03 December 2023
In 2019, 2.5 million people died from pneumonia worldwide (Dadonaite & Roser 2019).
Respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, remain a major concern for hospitals around the world, especially during the winter months when an influx of patients can put some hospitals into crisis mode.
Pneumonia ranges in severity from a mild illness to life-threatening. Anyone can contract pneumonia, but babies, young children, older adults and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are particularly susceptible to the dangers of this illness (Healthdirect 2023).
Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in children under the age of five, accounting for about 14% of deaths in this age group (WHO 2022).
There were 2,762 deaths caused by pneumonia and influenza in Australia in 2022, making them the 18th leading cause of death that year (ABS 2023).
Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that causes the alveoli in one or both lungs to fill with pus and fluids. This results in lung consolidation (wherein the alveolar spaces are filled with fluid instead of air) and interferes with gas exchange (Better Health Channel 2018; The Healthline Editorial Team & Marcin 2023).
When a person has pneumonia, breathing is painful and oxygen intake is limited (WHO 2022).
Pneumonia doesn’t discriminate across the lifespan and can affect any age group, though it is more common in young children and older adults (Better Health Channel 2018). Depending on the severity, some people may not necessarily need to be hospitalised, whilst others will.
Generally, those with more comorbidities or any problem that may exacerbate pneumonia will require hospital admission. Pneumonia can also be treated in the community as long as the individual has access to good medical and nursing care.
Pneumonia is caused by a viral, bacterial - or rarely - a fungal infection (Healthdirect 2020). In some cases, it is triggered by an existing cold or flu that enables pathogens to access the alveoli (Better Health Channel 2018).
Transmission commonly occurs by inhaling infected droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze of an infected person. It can also spread via blood (WHO 2019b).
Symptoms may vary depending on age, the cause and severity of the infection, and any existing health problems (Better Health Channel 2018). Assessing the patient and gaining a comprehensive patient history is vital in diagnosis. Symptoms may include:
(Healthdirect 2023; Better Health Channel 2018)
With correct treatment, a health improvement is usually observed within 7 to 10 days (Better Health Channel 2018).
(RCH 2018; Raising Children Network 2023)
Note: Young infants with pneumonia may appear unwell with a fever and rapid breathing but may not present with any other symptoms (Raising Children Network 2023).
(Healthdirect 2023; Better Health Channel 2018)
The following people are more likely to contract pneumonia and experience more severe symptoms:
(Healthdirect 2023; Better Health Channel 2018)
(Lung Foundation Australia 2023; Better Health Channel 2018)
(Lung Foundation Australia 2023; Better Health Channel 2018)
(Lung Foundation Australia 2023; Better Health Channel 2018)
(Lung Foundation Australia 2023; Watson & Swiner 2022)
There are other ways in which pneumonia may be classified or described:
(AMBOSS 2023)
Prompt and effective treatment of pneumonia is essential in order to prevent complications from occurring. Possible complications include:
(Jain et al. 2023)
Treatment depends on the severity and type of pneumonia.
In mild cases of bacterial pneumonia, the patient may be able to take oral antibiotics (usually amoxicillin) in an outpatient setting. For more severe cases, they may require hospital admission and treatment with intravenous antibiotics (SA Health 2021).
Another important aspect of pneumonia treatment is oxygen therapy and maintaining adequate oxygen saturation levels. Typically, oxygen saturation levels should be above 92%, although this depends on the patient and their comorbidities (e.g. patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have a lower baseline) (SA Health 2021; Queensland Health 2023).
Other supportive care may include:
(Queensland Health 2023)
Immunisation is a proven strategy for reducing the likelihood of contracting pneumonia. The pneumococcal vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule for certain groups of people (Healthdirect 2023).
You should also advise patients to:
(Lung Foundation Australia 2023; Mayo Clinic 2020)
Nurses contribute to all phases of an individual’s pneumonia journey and are vital in ensuring they receive the holistic care they need during this illness.
Question 1 of 3
Pneumonia and influenza were responsible for how many deaths in 2022?