Pneumonia

• Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that causes inflammation and fluid accumulation. Classification of pneumonia includes community-acquired pneumonia and hospital-acquired pneumonia which occurs at least 48hrs after being hospitalized
• Types of pneumonia are aspiration pneumonia mostly caused by stroke, necrotizing pneumonia which causes necrosis, opportunistic, viral and bacterial pneumonia
• Signs of pneumonia include fever, chills, green, yellow or rust-colored sputum, tachycardia, pleuritic chest pain, crackles, tachypnea
• Treatment is to first give oxygen, collect sputum culture from 2 different sites and start empiric antibiotic therapy
• Interprofessional care for patients with pneumonia includes turning them every 2 hours, incentive spirometer, small frequent caloric meals, antipyretics, analgesics and pneumococcal vaccine