Pulmonary abscess is a cavity containing pus, causing necrosis of lung tissue due to a microbial infection.
Abscesses usually form 1 to 2 weeks after contamination by microorganisms, which most often occurs due to a complication of pneumonia caused by aspiration of the contents of the mouth or stomach, as they contain bacteria most likely to develop this type of injury.aspiration pneumonia occurs.
- Diagnosis is made by your doctor through clinical table evaluation.
- Chest x-ray.
- And blood tests.
- Second.
- It is essential to start treatment with antibiotics that help fight the microorganisms that cause them.
- In combination with nutritional support and physiotherapy.
- In more severe cases.
- Pulmonary drainage may be necessary.
The main symptoms of pulmonary abscess include
Aggravation of the clinical picture can take days or weeks, depending on the bacteria causing the infection, health conditions and bodily defenses of the affected person, usually a single abscess is formed more than 2 cm in diameter, however, in some cases, several abscesses may occur during infection.
When the signs and symptoms may indicate this type of lung infection, it is necessary to consult a pulmonologist as soon as possible, or go to the emergency room, so that the cause is identified and the appropriate treatment is started immediately.
The diagnosis of pulmonary abscess is made by the doctor, by analyzing symptoms, a physical examination, as well as tests such as chest x-ray, which shows the presence of infiltrated secretions in the lung and cavity area, usually rounded, filled with pus and air.
Blood tests, such as a complete blood formula, can help demonstrate the presence of an infection and assess its severity, while CT scans of the chest can help better define the location of the abscess and look at other complications such as a pulmonary infarction or a buildup of pus in the pleural fluid.
Identification of the microorganism may be necessary in some cases, especially to guide treatment, and for this purpose a lung spit culture may be performed, or the collection of infectious material by tracheal aspiration or toracocentesis, for example, or even by blood culture… See how the test is done to identify the best antibiotic to treat the infection.
Pulmonary abscess occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria, are deposited in the lungs and cause tissue necrosis.Penetration of microorganisms can occur through the following mechanisms:
When pulmonary abscess is the result of a direct infection of the lung, it is called primary; in cases where it occurs due to complications arising from lung changes, such as the spread of an infection of other organs or a pulmonary embolism, it is called secondary.
Some of the most common microorganisms as causing pulmonary abscesses are Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Streptococcus pyogenes, or anaerobic bacteria, such as Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella or Bacteroides sp, for example.often in people with very low immunity.
Treatment of pulmonary abscess is performed with antibiotics such as clindamycin, moxifloxacin or ampicillin/sulbactam, for example, with an average duration of 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the responsible microorganism and clinical conditions of the patient.
Nutritional support and respiratory physiotherapy are also indicated during the acute phase; if initial treatment is not effective, surgery should be performed to drain the abscess and, in the latter case, remove the part of the necrotic lung.
Physical therapy is important to help with recovery and is done by
Pulmonary abscess physiotherapy is most effective in collaborating people who respond to coughing and breathing exercise requests.Learn more about how respiratory physical therapy is performed and what it is used for.