How not to miss pneumonia in a child. Pneumonia? No, we haven't. Why don't doctors recognize this terrible disease. Bilateral pneumonia: symptoms

Therefore, it is important to treat a child for a cold correctly and prevent pneumonia.

Why does pneumonia occur?

When a virus enters the body, it develops defensive reactions, one of which is mucus production. This mucus is found in the nose and in the bronchi. It accumulates various viruses and bacteria that harm the body, so it needs to be removed. However, mostly mucus is excreted by itself - from the nose in the form of snot and from the bronchi with the help of.

But it happens that mucus accumulates too much. The bronchi cannot handle it, and it enters the lungs. Mucus prevents normal ventilation of the lungs, so they begin to become inflamed.

Symptoms of pneumonia

Here are some signs that you can recognize that a child has pneumonia. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately:

• When the cold has almost passed, a strong cough begins.
• Cough with blood.
• Remedies do not help elevated temperature and fever.
• Frequent shortness of breath.
• Difficulty breathing, no way to do deep breath.
• Pallor.
• Wheezing in the lungs can be heard even without a stethoscope.
• Pain in the chest or back at the level of the lungs, headache.

Symptoms of pneumonia

How to avoid pneumonia after a cold: prevention

• Provide a child plentiful drink. He should drink warm drinks as often as possible. If the baby categorically refuses, you can go for a little trick: give him something salty to eat to artificially induce thirst.
• Use saline solution for washing the nose. Teach your child to clear the nose of mucus, and not sniff it and swallow it.

• The air in the room should not be dry. Put a humidifier or just bowls of water. Do not forget to ventilate the room more often - Fresh air very beneficial effect on recovery.
• Do not give antibiotics without a doctor's order. The same goes for cough suppressants. Cough is your friend, it removes phlegm that accumulates in the bronchi or lungs. Therefore, cough syrups are only prescribed by a doctor.
• Gargling is also good for relieving inflammation and moisturizing. Only no soda and iodine! Marigolds, chamomile and other herbs will be more useful and certainly will not harm the mucous membranes.

Watch the video of Dr. Komarovsky about what symptoms indicate pneumonia in a child:

In children, unlike an adult, they may not be so pronounced, which is why you need to be very careful, even if it seems to you that the child is just sick with SARS.

Let's start with the disease itself. In fact, pneumonia is considered inflammation lung tissue, the so-called alveoli, caused by various kinds infections. The disease can develop as right lung, as well as on the left. In some cases, two sides may be covered, and then the course of the disease will be even more difficult.

To notice the first symptoms, you should pay attention to the following manifestations:

High body temperature, more than 38 degrees, which does not subside, or decreases for a short time, more than 3 days. Moreover, it should be noted that pneumonia in early age is not always accompanied by a high temperature, therefore, such a symptom is optional. If suddenly your baby's body temperature has reached 39 degrees or more, immediately call ambulance any time of the day;

The second thing to pay attention to is the child's wet, painful cough. This character of reflex expiration, which is cough, in fact, can speak of an inflammatory process in the lungs;

The third indicator of the disease is the blueness of the nasolabial triangle and shortness of breath.

In any case, at the slightest suspicion of pneumonia, call the district pediatrician and if the doctor insists on hospitalization, do not refuse in any case, especially since the symptoms of pneumonia in children are often blurred.

Newborn children are prone to pneumonia in most cases if they were born before the due date, suffered themselves or their mother during pregnancy, infectious diseases, as well as in cases where it was diagnosed at birth intracranial hemorrhage.

Pneumonia baby is even more difficult to detect, and the mother needs to pay attention to the change in the baby's behavior and carefully monitor the body temperature, because the baby cannot yet complain to you, just as he does not know how to cough. Your task is to immediately inform the doctor about all observations, because in children under 1 year old the disease can develop rapidly, and the condition worsens even by minutes.

If a child is diagnosed with pneumonia, you are in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor, or at home under the supervision of another doctor, and your child has already had an x-ray, and all necessary tests, do not panic. This disease it is treated quickly enough, and if you seek help on time, there will be no consequences for the body. And the doctor will perform the task of how to cure pneumonia, but you only need to follow all the recommendations.

Well antibacterial drugs that the doctor will prescribe, do not try to treat the child yourself. The most common are the cephalosporins, penicillin series, azithromycin, erythromycin, amoxicillin.

Inhalation using a nebulizer, performed both in a hospital and at home. Medicines for the apparatus and their dosage are also prescribed by the doctor, mainly berodual, lazolvan are used.

Massage chest conducted by a children's masseur, but subject to the absence of temperature.

Thanks to integrated approach to treatment, the symptoms of pneumonia in children disappear in 2-3 days, the temperature decreases, shortness of breath and the intensity of wheezing in the lungs decrease.

At the end of the treatment, which lasts approximately two weeks, you will be given a follow-up x-ray and, if positive result discharged from the hospital. Surround your baby with care and love at such a moment, so you will help him recover from a serious illness.

It is far from always possible for a doctor to hear wheezing with pneumonia, especially when the baby is restless and noisy. Yes, and pneumonia develops in children quite quickly: just yesterday, the doctor did not suspect anything other than acute respiratory infections, and today it is pneumonia.

What a vigilant mom needs to know so as not to miss it serious disease, we were told by a pediatrician of the first category, a candidate medical sciences Anna Gniloskurenko.

Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) - a serious disease, which can be caused by different factors: viruses, bacteria, protozoa, worms, etc. The reason for the development of pneumonia largely depends on age. Most often, children get sick with bacterial and viral pneumonia, atypical less often (causative agent - special intracellular microbes) or fungal. In young children, as a rule, the main pathogens are staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus. And also the so-called Haemophilus influenzae (Hemophilus influenzae), which is currently being treated routine vaccination. For a child under the age of 5, the risk of getting pneumonia is quite high, mainly due to the same Haemophilus influenzae.

Symptoms of pneumonia

The main symptom of pneumonia, of course, is a cough. But the general aggravation of the child's condition should also alert. Look for any of the following signs in your child:

The child has become lethargic, refuses to drink and eat;

Keep stable heat. But we must not forget that fever is an optional symptom of pneumonia;

The child begins to breathe more often, shortness of breath appears;

Additional muscles begin to participate in the act of breathing, the child breathes as if with tension;

The baby's skin may become pale, and blue may appear around the nose and lips;

Although this symptom is not clinical, there is an observation that a bright red cheek (right or left) may indicate inflammation in the corresponding lung.

Viral pneumonia most often begins with SARS, the appearance of the above-described respiratory disorders in this case allows suspecting pneumonia.

See also: PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN OF THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE: DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION, TREATMENT

Diagnosis of pneumonia

To establish the diagnosis of "pneumonia" the doctor will help:

Data on the onset of the disease and how it proceeded until the moment of treatment (the so-called anamnesis);

The data of the examination of the child and the so-called physical data. The doctor can listen to the child's lungs with a stethoscope (auscultation) and, if necessary, "tap" (percussion). It is not always possible to hear characteristic wheezing when listening, but the doctor is alarmed by the “weakening” of breathing over areas of infiltration in the lung tissue;

Data laboratory examinations. In favor of pneumonia, along with all of the above, such indicators as increase in ESR and leukocytes in general analysis blood, changes in the leukocyte formula;

X-rays of light. The picture will clearly show whether there are areas of infiltration in the lung tissue, and what size they are. But despite the high level of information x-ray method, the decision on the formulation of the diagnosis is made by the doctor independently, using all the data available to him.

SARS is often hidden under different masks, it is sometimes difficult to see it even for an experienced doctor. For example, in practice there was a case when the leading symptom in a child was vomiting at night for several days, and only when the girl lay down on one side. Only by excluding gastrointestinal pathology, it was possible to establish that it was on this side that there was a small area of ​​atypical segmental pneumonia, which "hid" from listening behind the shoulder blade.

Getty Images/Fotobank

Treatment of pneumonia

In most cases, in the treatment of pneumonia in children, antibiotics. The choice of drug depends on the suspected cause (causing microbe), age, and the presence of a possible concomitant pathology: birth defects, pathology gastrointestinal tract etc. In most cases, antibiotics are given at the start of treatment. a wide range. In addition to antibiotics, expectorants are usually used in the treatment of pneumonia, which make the cough productive and facilitate sputum discharge, and also use physiotherapy procedures. In the hospital at severe cases use oxygen, intravenous treatment, combinations of several antibiotics.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue and alveoli, characterized by damage to the mucous membranes of the lung and the formation of exudate. Most often, the disease is of an infectious nature, but sometimes inflammation can begin after inhalation of toxic substances or fluid in the respiratory tract. Pneumonia is diagnosed mainly in children - this is due to the imperfection of the immune system and insufficient activity of immune cells.

Inflammation of the lungs in adults also occurs due to weakened immunity. Bacteria, getting on the mucous membranes of one or both lungs, begin to multiply and secrete waste products that cause general intoxication body and its symptoms: fever, weakness, chills. Sometimes the disease occurs in mild form without fever, cough and other symptoms, but this does not mean that the disease is this case cannot lead to grave consequences Therefore, it is important to know the signs and features of the course of pneumonia in adults.

Experts distinguish two types of pneumonia: hospital and community-acquired. The hospital type of pathology is especially dangerous for patients of any age, as it is caused by pathogens that are resistant to most antibiotics and other potent drugs. antibacterial agents. To completely destroy some species pathogenic microorganisms(for example, Staphylococcus aureus), it is necessary to “wash” the hospital every two weeks, which is impossible in practice.

Infection outside the hospital also occurs due to the entry of bacteria into the lower respiratory tract. In the vast majority of cases, the disease occurs after the defeat of streptococci. This is the most dangerous pathogen, which in 10% of cases multiplies so quickly that to achieve pronounced effect from the use of traditional treatment regimens fails, and the death of the patient occurs. Statistics of infection by other species pathogenic bacteria presented in the table below.

Important! Some types of pathogenic bacteria (for example, Legionella) are resistant to standard antibiotics, so identification of the pathogen type is required for effective treatment. Without this measure, there may be no result from therapy and the death of the patient.

How not to miss the onset of the disease: the first signs

With the development of inflammatory processes in the lungs, most patients (more than 40%) develop a temperature. In the first 1-2 days, it may not rise to high levels and stay at the level of 37-37.3 °. As the bacterial colonies grow, the temperature rises, general state the patient worsens, symptoms of intoxication appear. The temperature at this stage can reach 38.5-39 ° and is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

• chills;
• lethargy;
• deterioration (or complete absence) appetite;
• fever;
• headache;
• drowsiness.

Advice! To prevent dehydration and speed up recovery, you must follow drinking regimen and consume enough water, compotes and tea. Doctors advise including berry fruit drinks in the diet - they help reduce the temperature and contain a large number of ascorbic acid necessary to support a weakened immune system during the period of illness.

The second symptom of pneumonia that appears on early stage, - cough. In the first days of the disease, it is hysterical, dry, painful. Sputum production does not occur during this period. Cough torments the patient at any time of the day, intensifies at night, disrupting the quality of sleep. In some cases, it may be accompanied by shortness of breath, but such symptoms are typical, as a rule, for 3-4 days of illness.

Symptoms of pneumonia in adults

By the end of the third day of illness, the patient begins to develop symptoms characteristic of pneumonia, so most patients seek medical attention. medical assistance exactly at this time. To recognize inflammatory processes in the lung tissue, it is necessary to know the features of the symptoms at this stage.

Cough

Cough is the main symptom that is determined in any age group patients with lung injury. A few days after the onset of the pathology, the cough becomes wet, from respiratory tract mucous sputum is secreted, which may contain yellow-green pus. To speed up the removal of sputum from the respiratory tract, the doctor prescribes mucolytics or expectorants that increase the formation of mucous secretions and facilitate its removal from the lungs.

Important! Cough with pneumonia is usually intense, but in some cases, the patient may not experience the discomfort associated with this symptom. The duration of the cough can be from 7 to 14 days. Sometimes the cough continues after recovery and lasts about 10 days. This sign must be supervised by a doctor, as he may indicate not insufficient treatment and the presence of an infectious focus in the lungs or bronchi.

Pain when breathing

If the patient tries to take a deep breath, he may feel pain behind the sternum. This symptomatology suggests that the pleura is involved in the pathological process. Damage to the pleura can lead to pleurisy - a serious disease characterized by inflammation of the pleural sheets. Pleurisy may be dry or exudative with formation of liquid contents.

Dyspnea

Shortness of breath most often occurs during a cough. At rest this symptom worries patients of the adult age group rarely, but this situation is not excluded, so it is important to monitor any changes in breathing and well-being.

Pale skin

The skin begins to turn pale from the first days of the disease, so suspect the presence pathological process in the body can be even before the appearance of typical symptoms. If the patient has a fever, the temperature is kept at a high level, pallor of the skin will be accompanied by increased sweating. In severe cases, bluish areas may appear - this is very danger sign requiring immediate medical attention.

The mucous membranes also turn pale, it is noted increased dryness lips and oral cavity.

Headache

Headache in pneumonia is progressive in nature and intensifies with sudden movement or turning your head. Maximum severity pain syndrome determined on the 3rd-4th day of the disease. Starting from the fifth day pain subside and by the end of the seventh day they disappear altogether.

hallucinations

Disturbance of consciousness and the appearance of hallucinations occur only in 3-4% of cases and indicate a critical level of intoxication and a large area of ​​damage. If the patient had at least a single impairment of consciousness, a decision is made on urgent hospitalization, as such patients should be under constant medical supervision.

Bilateral pneumonia: symptoms

Bilateral lesion is the most unfavorable clinical form pneumonia, which in the absence of competent therapy can result in the death of the patient. This type of inflammation is treated stationary conditions Therefore, the favorable prognosis of life depends on the speed of contacting a doctor and the timeliness of medical care.

A distinctive symptom of bilateral pneumonia is blue lips and extremities. This symptom occurs because there is a violation of gas exchange in the tissues of the pulmonary system and the blood flow through the vessels slows down. bronchial tree and lungs. The temperature in this form of pneumonia is always high: starting from the first day of the disease, it can stay at around 38.5-39 ° and rise higher as the disease progresses.

Other symptoms of bilateral pneumonia:

• severe shortness of breath;
• prolonged painful cough;
• pain in the chest area;
• prolonged sneezing and other symptoms of a cold;
• shaky and shallow breathing.

Important! In the presence of such symptoms, in no case should you stay at home and try to be treated on your own. Mortality from bilateral lung damage is about 13% of the total number of cases, so treatment should only take place under the supervision of specialists. In addition, the patient may need correction medical therapy which is impossible to do at home.

Associated symptoms and complications

Signs of pneumonia are not always related to pulmonary system. Since the disease is most often infectious in nature, viruses and bacteria can spread throughout the body and penetrate other tissues and organs, causing related complications, which experts consider as a kind of symptoms of the underlying disease. For example, when symptoms appear iron deficiency anemia and going to the hospital about this, the patient may find out that his lung is inflamed.

The changes may also affect of cardio-vascular system. Most often in such patients, myocarditis is determined - inflammation of the heart muscle. Pathology is extremely dangerous and can cause lethal outcome if not diagnosed in time. Heart failure is another symptom of advanced form lung inflammation, which occurs in almost half of the patients, therefore, in a hospital setting, all patients with pneumonia in without fail examined by a cardiologist.

Other signs (complications) of a long-term lesion of the pulmonary system:

• endocarditis - inflammatory process the inner lining of the heart;
• meningitis - damage to the meninges;
• toxic shock (infectious origin).

Important! Prolonged intoxication can also lead to the death of the patient, so the only the right option will go to the hospital if any symptoms of pneumonia are detected.

Pneumonia - dangerous pathology with enough high probability lethal outcome. Some underestimate the seriousness of the disease, but such an approach, without exaggeration, can cost the life of the patient. Symptoms of the pathology may be different, but the main signs are determined in almost 90% of patients with pneumonia, therefore early diagnosis presents no difficulty. From timely treatment the prognosis of life and health completely depends, therefore, any signs of the disease should be taken seriously.

Video - All about pneumonia

Pneumonia is acute inflammatory disease lower respiratory tract, affecting the tissues of the lungs and pleura. At the same time, treatment started at the wrong time, especially in children, can lead to a huge number health problems. How not to miss pneumonia in your child, if this ailment can pass almost without symptoms at the initial stage?

Disease Definition

Pneumonia is acute infection lower respiratory tract caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. It can develop rapidly, leading to very serious consequences for health in the future. The first signs of this disease are in many ways reminiscent of the usual SARS, a complication of which can be pneumonia.

At proper treatment viral infection can easily be avoided unpleasant consequences like bronchitis or pneumonia.

At the same time, exudate accumulates in the bronchi, which is quite difficult to cough up. to a small child due to weakness of the chest muscles. Of particular danger is SARS which is quite difficult to diagnose even for an experienced doctor. It can disguise itself as any symptom that is completely uncharacteristic of pneumonia.

How to diagnose: main symptoms

It is quite difficult to detect the first signs of pneumonia, so it is important for parents to carefully monitor the well-being of the child. This is especially important even with a mild viral infection, so if any warning symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a pediatrician. This will help you not to miss any serious illness, the beginning of which may be hidden under "trifle" symptoms.

Inflammation of the lungs is a complex and insidious disease. In many cases, it can occur without the usual fever and cough. In this case, only indirect symptoms will help to suspect the development of the disease.

What signs should alert parents when it comes to suspected pneumonia? First of all, these are:

• Lethargy, capriciousness;
• Weakness, sweating;
• Refusal to eat and drink;
• High either subfebrile temperature, which lasts a long time;
• Frequent, sometimes difficult breathing, shortness of breath;
• A characteristic "feverish" blush, which can also appear as a sign of pneumonia;
• pale skin;
• Blue skin of the nasolabial triangle;
• Dry cough.

If at least a few of these symptoms appear, the child should be shown to the doctor. In order to make it easier for a specialist to put accurate diagnosis parents should have answers to the following questions:

• When the disease began, how it proceeded before going to the doctor;
• What kind medicines did you take it on your own?
• Information about any other warning symptoms.

On examination, the doctor most often finds "wet" rales in the lungs, after which a comprehensive examination will be prescribed.

If any, even the most "harmless" symptom appeared in a child for the first time, this should be reported to the doctor.

The diagnosis of pneumonia includes:

• chest X-ray;
• Clinical blood test;
• Blood chemistry.

For an experienced specialist, the results of these studies are enough to make a diagnosis of pneumonia and determine the causative agent of the disease.

When to see a doctor

In order to start the treatment of the disease on time, it is necessary to consult a doctor at the first threatening symptoms. When a doctor is required:

• If the child is less than 3 years old;
• When any last longer than 5 to 7 days;
• Subfebrile temperature lasts longer than 3 - 4 days;
• If, after a visible improvement, deterioration occurs;
• There is groaning or even slight shortness of breath;
• visible clear signs intoxication (lethargy, drowsiness, loss of appetite, capriciousness);
• Violation or confusion of consciousness;
• Sharp blanching of the skin at high temperature;
• Labored, wheezing breathing.

At infants may appear frequent regurgitation and vomiting, as the disease rapidly progresses to severe form leading to severe toxicity. Even if these are the usual symptoms of the flu or any other acute respiratory viral infection, it is worth remembering that there are 2 basic rules for parents. You should definitely consult a doctor if:

• There is no improvement on the 5th - 7th day of illness;
• It gets worse for two days in a row.

You can not give the child any medication without a doctor's prescription, since self-medication can lead to serious consequences. The same goes for and even , since they have many side effects and contraindications for use.

The only medications that can be given to a child are over-the-counter antipyretics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. The same applies to oral rehydration solutions, which should be given to a child, especially at high temperatures.

Causes

Each type of pneumonia has its own clinical picture triggered by a specific pathogen. It can be:

• streptococcal infection;
• pneumococcal infection;
• Haemophilus influenzae;
• Herpes simplex virus;
• Cytamegoalovirus;
• Chlamydia;
• Mycoplasma.

Besides, indirect causes pneumonia in children school age can be chronic lesions infections in the body, such as:

• Sinusitis or;
• Caries and others chronic infections in the oral cavity;

The risk of pneumonia is especially high in children with congenital immunodeficiency.

Another atypical reason that increases the risk of developing pneumonia in a child is “ second hand smoke". That is why adults categorically should not smoke in a room where there is a child. This creates a risk of various respiratory diseases, including chronic ones.

Types and classifications

By type of pneumonia in children can be:

• Focal;
• Croupose;
• Segmental;
• Interstitial.

In this case, each of the types of pneumonia in terms of frequency of occurrence, in turn, can be:

• Spicy;
• Repetitive.

At improper treatment disease, it can pass from acute form into a recurring one. This happens if the child's immunity is weakened, and the body is not able to cope with a new infection in time.

The most common cause of recurrent pneumonia is wrong image the life of the child, and the conditions of his life.

Consequences of self-medication

Often parents make a very serious mistake when trying to treat themselves, especially on initial stages. Most often this happens with recurring pneumonia, when adults decide to treat the disease with the means prescribed by the doctor last time.

conclusions

That is why a timely diagnosed and properly treated pneumonia passes quickly and without complications in the future. There are signs with which you can suspect pneumonia and contact a pediatrician in time, they cannot be ignored. Especially dangerous in this case is parental self-treatment, leading to serious complications in future.