WHAT IS PNEUMONIA?

• Pneumonia is a serious lung infection caused by bacterial or viral infection
• It causes inflammation in the lungs, and in the process creates air sacs to fill with pus and may become solid.

HOW DOES PNEUMONIA OCCUR?

• You may breathe in some bacteria. If you are already healthy this won't be a big issue
• Sometimes the germs get trapped and multiply causing lung infections
• If you are already in poor health this will have a greater impact on your recovery and how it affects you
• Completely healthy people can still develop pneumonia

IS PNEUMONIA LIFE THREATENING?

• With proper care and treatment, you are likely to make a complete recovery
• Some people will become very ill and require hospitalization
• Others can die
• People who are already having health issues may die as well
• For example people in later stages of terminal cancer would probably die

SYMPTOMS OF PNEUMONIA?

• The typical symptoms are:
• Cough, fever, sweats, shivers, not being able to eat, having headaches, aches and pains
• Sputum may become yellow/green in colour and can sometimes be bloodstained
• You may become breathless easily and develop a tight chest. A sharp pain in the side may develop.
• Also having too much sputum is another symptom

TREATMENTS? (HOME)

• For milder cases of pneumonia, treatment at home is possible
• Taking antibiotics such as amoxicillin is prescribed by a doctor when there is suspicion of pneumonia
• It is effective against the common causes and symptoms
• You should notice an improvement in symptoms after 3 days if it is working

TREATMENTS? (HOSPITAL)

• Hospital treatment is advised if you have severe pneumonia
• Chest X-rays will be taken to confirm how severe the pneumonia is
• Blood and sputum tests will also be taken to find out which bacteria is causing the virus
• Sometimes oxygen and intravenous therapy (IV) are used if you have a severe case of pneumonia
• When you are returned home you will still feel ill and weak even though the infection had been treated

PREVENTION?

• The flu is a common cause of pneumonia so getting flu shots annually helps
• Washing hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose and using the washroom
• DO NOT SMOKE! Tobacco damages your lungs fighting ability against infections
• Smokers have been found to be at a higher risk if getting pneumonia

STATISTICS

• 1 person in 10-20 may die if you are a sever case
• If you are treated at home, fewer than 1 in 100 will die
• Number of deaths : 49'597
• Number of hospital discharges: 1.1 million
• Average hospital stay length: 5.2 days

References

FASTSTATS - Pneumonia. (2014, February 28). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 12, 2014, from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm

Patient.co.uk - Trusted medical information and support. Patient.co.uk. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/pneumonia-
leaflet#nav-2

Prevent Pneumonia - American Lung Association. American Lung Association. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/pneumonia/prevent- pneumonia.html

Prevent Pneumonia - American Lung Association. American Lung Association. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/pneumonia/prevent-pneumonia.html