Community pneumonia is an infection and inflammation of the lungs that is acquired outside the hospital environment, i.e. in the community, and is mainly related to the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes, but can also be caused by Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, in addition to certain types of viruses and fungi.
The symptoms of community pneumonia are the same as those of common pneumonia, differing only by the infectious agent and the environment in which the infection occurred, the main high fever being chest pain, excessive fatigue and lack of appetite, for example.
- Diagnosis of community pneumonia is made by evaluating the signs and symptoms presented by the person.
- As well as imaging and laboratory tests to identify the causal agent of pneumonia and thus indicate the most appropriate treatment.
- Which can be performed with antibiotics or antivirals.
Symptoms of community pneumonia appear within a few days of contact with the microorganism responsible for pneumonia, developing most often in people with the weakest immune system, the main being:
As soon as the first signs and symptoms of community pneumonia appear, it is important that the person consults the pneumologist or family doctor to make the diagnosis and start the most appropriate treatment, thus avoiding the development of complications, such as a generalized infection and coma. Like what.
The initial diagnosis of community pneumonia is made by the pneumologist or family doctor by analyzing the signs and symptoms that the person presents. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may order imaging tests such as chest x-rays, chest ultrasounds, and chest CT scans. Imaging tests, as well as being important for diagnosis, are also helpful in assessing the extent of pneumonia.
In addition, your doctor may also order tests to identify the microorganism responsible for the infection, and microbiological blood, urine, or sputum testing may be indicated, for example.
Treatment of community pneumonia is done on the advice of the doctor and involves, in most cases, the use of antibiotics such as azithromycin, ceftriaxone or levofloxacin. However, in cases where pneumonia is caused by viruses, antiviral medications such as Zanovir and Rimantadine may be recommended.
The improvement of symptoms appears around the 3rd day, but if the fever or the number of secretions increases, it is important to inform the pneumologist to adjust treatment after performing blood and mucus tests.
Pneumonia can be treated at home, however, in some cases, such as severe pneumonia, in patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, treatment can be done in the hospital, supplemented with physical therapy to eliminate infected secretions and improve breathing.
When treating patients over the age of 50 who are smokers or who do not improve their symptoms, additional tests, such as chest x-rays, may be required to check for the progress of infection in the lungs.