A Simple Guide To Different Pneumonias, Diagnosis, Treatment In Medical Practice

By Kenneth Kee

This book describes Different Pneumonias, Diagnosis and Treatment as seen in a medical practice

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the airspaces in the lungs most often produced by infections.

Bacteria, viruses, or fungi can produce the infection.

There are also a few non-infectious types of pneumonia that are produced by inhaling or aspirating foreign matter or toxic substances into the lungs.

While anyone of any age can be involved, pneumonia is more frequent in elderly people.

Pneumonia often happens when the immune system is weakened through a prior infection or another disorder.

Pneumonia is much more severe when it involves older adults, infants and young children or those with chronic medical conditions.

It is the second highest cause of death in Singapore after cancer.

Types

Many micro-organisms can produce pneumonia.

The most frequent are bacteria and viruses that are inhaled into the lungs.

The body normally stops these micro-organisms from infecting the lungs.

But occasionally these micro-organisms can overpower the immune system, even if the health is normally good.

Pneumonia is classified based on the types of micro-organisms that cause it and where the patient got the infection.

1. Bacterial Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is caused by bacteria instead of a virus, fungi or some other type of germ or foreign substance.

It can be caused by a wide range of bacteria and is treated with antibiotics.

This is a frequent form of pneumonia that can occasionally be very serious, leading to hospitalization or even death in severe cases.

A large number of people that are hospitalized with pneumonia have bacterial pneumonia.

It often occurs when a person has another type of illness such as the flu.

The immune system is weakened due to the first illness and bacteria causes a secondary infection.

2. Viral Pneumonia

It is triggered by viruses such as influenza, chickenpox, adenoviruses or respiratory syncytial virus.

The patient can catch viral pneumonia via coughing, sneezing or touching an object that was contaminated by an infected person.

A patient with viral pneumonia does not just have swollen lungs, but blocked oxygen flow as well.

It is said to be responsible for one-third of all pneumonia cases.

3. Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Mycoplasma pneumonia is often the cause of "walking pneumonia" and gets that name because the symptoms are normally mild.

A person with this type of pneumonia is able to function and "walk around" unlike with more serious types of pneumonia where the patient could end up being in bed or at least at home for a while.

4. Fungal Pneumonia

Fungal pneumonia is caused when spores enter the lungs and widely spread.

It is rare and more often occurs in people with compromised immune systems.

5. Legionellosis (Legionnaire's Disease)

Legionellosis is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory tract produced by the bacillus Legionella pneumophilia, a Gram negative, non-sporulating aerobic micro-organism.

Legionnaires' disease can produce a type of atypical pneumonia.

6. Aspiration Pneumonia

Infections or inhalation of food, liquid, gases or dust into the airway cause this pneumonia.

7. Lipoid pneumonia

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare disorder that happens when fat particles enter the lungs and cause blockage of the airways.

Symptoms may be the same in all pneumonia with cough, shortness of breath and fever.

Diagnosis is by X-ray or CT scan and blood tests

Treatment is with antimicrobials, analgesics, oxygen, hydration, removal of inhaled substances

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Different Pneumonias
Chapter 2 Pneumonia
Chapter 3 Fungal Pneumonia
Chapter 4 Legionellosis Pneumonia
Chapter 5 Spanish Flu and Influenza
Chapter 6 Walking Pneu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Kee
• Release date: May 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463092194

Kenneth Kee

Medical doctor since 1972.Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours inthe afternoon.He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.comThis autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.The later books go into more details of medical disorders.He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) startingwith the Apple computer and going to PC.The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.Dr Kee is the author of:"A Family Doctor's Tale""Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine""Case Notes From A Family Doctor"

Book preview

A

Simple

Guide

To

Different Pneumonias,

Diagnosis,

Treatment

In

Medical Practice

By

Dr Kenneth Kee

M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

Copyright Kenneth Kee 2020 Smashwords Edition

Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated

To my wife Dorothy

And my children

Carolyn, Grace

And Kelvin

This book describes Different Pneumonias, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

(What You Need to Treat Different Pneumonias)

This e-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Introduction

I have been writing medical articles for my blog: http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.

My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.

Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).

I then wrote an autobiography account of my journey as a medical student to family doctor on my other blog: http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.

This autobiography account A Family Doctor’s Tale was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 800 eBooks.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.

For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.

The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.

Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.

As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.

My diagnosis and treatment capability has improved tremendously from my continued education.

Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.

I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.

I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.

I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.

Chapter 1

Different Pneumonias

What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the airspaces in the lungs most often produced by infections.

Bacteria, viruses, or fungi can produce the infection.

There are also a few non-infectious types of pneumonia that are produced by inhaling or aspirating foreign matter or toxic substances into the lungs.

About 50,000 people reported death from pneumonia in the U.S.A. each year.

While anyone of any age can be involved, pneumonia is more frequent in elderly people.

Pneumonia often happens when the immune system is weakened through a prior infection or another disorder.

Pneumonia is much more severe when it involves older adults, infants and young children or those with chronic medical conditions.

What are the different types of pneumonia?.

Types

Many micro-organisms can produce pneumonia.

The most frequent are bacteria and viruses that are inhaled into the lungs.

The body normally stops these micro-organisms from infecting the lungs.

But occasionally these micro-organisms can overpower the immune system, even if the health is normally good.

Pneumonia is classified based on the types of micro-organisms that cause it and where the patient got the infection.

1. Bacterial Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is caused by bacteria instead of a virus, fungi or some other type of germ or foreign substance.

It can be caused by a wide range of bacteria and is treated with antibiotics.

This is a frequent form of pneumonia that can occasionally be very serious, leading to hospitalization or even death in severe cases.

A large number of people that are hospitalized with pneumonia have bacterial pneumonia.

It often occurs when a person has another type of illness such as the flu.

The immune system is weakened due to the first illness and bacteria causes a secondary infection.

2. Viral Pneumonia

It is triggered by viruses such as influenza, chickenpox, adenoviruses or respiratory syncytial virus.

The patient can catch viral pneumonia via coughing, sneezing or touching an object that was contaminated by an infected person.

A patient with viral pneumonia does not just have swollen lungs, but blocked oxygen flow as well.

It is said to be responsible for one-third of all pneumonia cases.

People who have this type of pneumonia are also most likely to get bacterial pneumonia, too.

3. Mycoplasma Pneumonia

This type of pneumonia is caused by a germ known as a bacterium - which is smaller than bacteria.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is often the cause of walking pneumonia and gets that name because the symptoms are normally mild.

A person with this type of pneumonia is able to function and walk around unlike with more serious types of pneumonia where the patient could end up being in bed or at least at home for a while.

4. Fungal Pneumonia

Fungal pneumonia is caused when spores enter the lungs and widely spread.

It is rare and more commonly occurs in people with compromised immune systems.

However, it can occur in otherwise healthy adults.

One cause of fungal pneumonia in adults is Valley Fever - which occurs in certain parts of the Southwestern United States.

Most people react to treatment and heal from pneumonia.

For some people, pneumonia can make worse chronic conditions or cause serious complications.

Like the treatment, the recovery time will depend on the type of pneumonia the patient have, how severe it is, and the health in general.

A younger person may return to normal in a week after treatment.

5. Legionnaire

Legionellosis (Legionnaire's Disease) is a lung infection produced by Legionella bacteria.

Legionellosis is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory tract produced by the bacillus Legionella pneumophilia, a Gram negative, non-sporulating aerobic micro-organism.

Legionnaires' disease can produce a type of atypical pneumonia.

Signs and symptoms are cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle aches and headaches.

Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur.

This often begins two to ten days after exposure.

The bacterium is found naturally in fresh water.

It can cause pollution of hot water tanks, hot tubs, and cooling towers of large air conditioners.

It is normally transmitted by breathing in the mist containing the bacteria.

It can also happen when contaminated water is aspirated.

It normally does not transmit directly between people and many people who are exposed do not get the infection.

6. Aspiration Pneumonia

Infections or inhalation of food, liquid, gases or dust into the airway cause this form of pneumonia.

This disorder is also called necrotizing pneumonia, anaerobic pneumonia, aspiration pneumonitis, and aspiration of vomitus.

People with aspiration pneumonia have inflammation minus the bacterial infection.

Very often, aspiration pneumonia can be difficult to treat on some occasions because people who normally acquire this disease are already sick to begin with.

7. Lipoid pneumonia

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare disorder that happens when fat particles enter the lungs.

Lipoids, also called lipids, are fat molecules.

Pneumonia indicates inflammation of the lungs.

Lipoid pneumonia is also called lipid pneumonia.

Lipoid pneumonia is a type of pneumonia that is produced by the penetration of lipids at the level of the bronchial tree.

This disorder is also called cholesterol pneumonia, due to the connection that is present between cholesterol and lipids.

The lipoid pneumonia was first described by Laughlin in 1925, who observed it on infants who inhaled droplets of oil.

At present, this disorder is found in those who practice commercial diving but only in very rare cases (regarded as an occupational risk).

What are the Symptoms of Pneumonia?

Symptoms

The symptoms of pneumonia vary from mild symptoms to severe.

This is dependent on several factors, such as the age and general health, and whether the pneumonia is produced by a virus, bacteria, or fungus.

Symptoms may be the same as those of a cold or flu, but they are likely to last longer.

If the patient has pneumonia, here are the most frequent symptoms to anticipate:

1. Cough that produces thick mucus

Coughing helps to clear the body of the mucus formed from inflammation of the airways and lungs.

This mucus may also include blood.

With bronchitis or pneumonia, the patient may have a cough that forms thick mucus that may have a distinct color, such as:

a. Clear

b. White

c. Green

d. Yellowish-grey

A cough can remain for several weeks even after other symptoms have increased.

2. Stabbing chest pains

Chest pain produced by pneumonia is often depicted as sharp or stabbing.

The chest pain is likely to become worse while coughing or breathing deeply.

Occasionally the sharp pains can be sensed in the mid to upper back.

3. Fever

A fever happens as the body attempts to fight off the infection.

Normal body temperature is normally around 98.6°F (37°C).

If the patient has a bacterial pneumonia, the fever may rise as high as