WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN
Children below the age of 5 are one of the age groups that are at most risk of having pneumonia, whether caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites. Pneumonia is said to be an infection of the lungs. As such, the infection causes the air sacs in the lungs to be filled up with pus and other fluids making it difficult for oxygen to reach the bloodstream. Pneumonia has become a fairly common infection among children below five years old affecting 150 million to 156 million children in the United States each year. It can be mild or serious.
What Causes Pneumonia in a Child?
As stated earlier, pneumonia can be said to be caused by either bacteria, virus, fungi or a parasite. Although most common organisms that cause pneumonia in kids are bacteria and virus and some of them include; Streptococcus pneumonia, Mycoplasma pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Parainfluenza virus, Influenza virus, Adenovirus and Group B streptococcus.
Following an upper respiratory tract infection, often, pneumonia usually surfaces with the symptoms beginning after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat. The infection then moves down to the lungs and fluid, white blood cells and debris start to accumulate in the alveoli (air spaces of the lungs) and then blocks the smooth passage of air, hence making it harder for the lungs to work efficiently and giving rise to the main symptoms of pneumonia. Some symptoms give important clues about which germ or organism is causing the pneumonia. For example, kids with bacterial pneumonia usually become sick pretty fast, beginning with a sudden high fever and unusually fast labored breathing while kids with viral pneumonia often have symptoms that appear gradually and are less severe, although wheezing can be more common.
Nonetheless, a child is at a high risk of being infected if he or she has a weak immune system, an ongoing chronic health problem like asthma or cystic fibrosis, problems with the lungs or airways or if the child is being exposed to second hand tobacco smoke at such tender age.
What Are The Symptoms Of Pneumonia In A Child?
Most symptoms include;
Productive cough, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, tiredness, cough pain, fever and chills, headache, fussiness, abdominal pain (because a child is coughing and working hard to breathe), stuffy nose, breathing with wheezing sounds.
Diagnosis
In the diagnosis of pneumonia in children, the doctors usually conduct a physical examination on the child which includes the child’s appearance, breathing pattern, and vital signs and also listen to the lungs for abnormal sounds. Some other tests for a definite diagnosis includes; chest X-rays, blood tests, pulse oximetry, chest CT scan, bronchoscopy, pleural fluid culture.
Treatment of Pneumonia in a Child
For bacterial pneumonia, treatment can be done using antibiotics while for viral pneumonia, there isn’t any good treatment available yet and it most likely gets better on their own. Any flu-related pneumonia can be treated with an antiviral agent. Some other treatments can be done in order to relieve the symptoms of pneumonia such as; taking lots of rest, coughs medicines, acetaminophen for fever, headaches, and taking more fluids.
Pneumonia is a high risk infection and can become severe and may cause breathing problems or a lasting high fever or bacteria in the blood that the child would need to be hospitalized. In this case, the child is given either an oxygen therapy, intravenous antibiotics. With treatment, bacterial pneumonia can be cure in 1 to 2 weeks while for walking or viral pneumonia, it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to be cured completely.
How contagious is pneumonia?
There’s an old saying that claims that pneumonia is contagious. Well, it has some truth to it but in essence, pneumonia itself is not exactly contagious but the upper respiratory tract infections that build up to pneumonia are highly contagious. The organisms that cause these infections are usually present in the fluid in the mouth or nose of an infected person. So, if the person sneezes, he/she is likely to spread out these organisms to unaffected individuals. Also, sharing glasses and cutleries with an infected person can predispose someone to contacting the infection. Hence, it is advisable to keep kids away from persons with symptoms of respiratory tract infections like a stuffy nose, flu, cough, sore throat etc.
Can pneumonia really be prevented?
Yes! Pneumonia can very much be prevented with the use of some specific vaccines. There are two types of vaccines that can help prevent pneumococcal disease. The first vaccine, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine or Prevnar is normally included as part of an infant’s routine immunizations. The second, Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine or Pneumovax is recommended for children and adults who are at an increased risk of developing pneumococcal infections. Pneumonia can also be prevented from children with good hygiene which includes teaching the children to wash their hands often and to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
CONTRIBUTOR: Peer Group 2
Pharm. Gloria Nwankwo, Pharm. Chioma Odogwu, Pharm. Rejoice Thomas Kaigama, Pharm. Mmesoma Mgboko, Pharm. Taiwo Olawehinmi, Pharm. Temitayo Soyinka, Pharm. Obianuju Nnedigwe, Pharm. Samuel Adedoyin, Pharm. Rufina Ezeanowi, Pharm. Onyedikachi Obike, Pharm. Chisom Anaedu, Pharm. Temitayo Aderibigbe.