Pneumonia

You want to learn something? I do too.. come on this nursing school journey with me and lets learn stuff. :)

Not only is it important for me to know this information to make a good grade and pass nursing school..but most importantly and this is why I am doing this; To be educated to treat as well as educate any readers. Prevention.

That word sums up a lot of what nurses do. Yes we care, and that is a huge component.. but we don't want you to get sicker than you already are!

So I'm learning about respiratory disorders right now in school. This topic is so critical for nurses because so many patients (of all ages) are admitted or develope this respiratory infection that if left untreated can be fatal.

Pneumonia.

What is it?

Pnemonia is an inflammation of the lung parenchyma caused by various microorganisms that include mycobacteria, fungi and viruses. Pneumonitis is a more general term that describes the inflammatory process within the lung tissue that places the patient at risk for a microbial invasion.

Pneumonia and influenza are the most common cause of death from infectious diseases in th US! Accounting for nearly 60,000 deaths. So ya... we need to be on our toes with this.

You may know of someone who has had this. I had chronic pneumonia as a child.

There are 2 types of pneumonia: Community- aquired (CAP) or Hospital-aquired (HAP)

Community of course just as it is worded is aquired within the community setting. If severity and complication developes then the patient is hospitalized. More than 915,000 cases develope in adults 65 and older. Also influenza is a type of CAP that frequently affects the elderly or those with comorbid illnesses (COPD, alchoholism, diabetes mellitus) as well as those who are immunocompromised.

The other type HAP also known as nosocomial pneumonia is defined as the onset of symptoms more than 48 hrs after hospital admission in patients with no evidence of pre-exisiting infection. So how does a patient develope pneumonia in the hospital?

Prolonged supine (flat) positioning in a hospital bed, aspiration (fluid content from the stomach coming back up) prolonged hospitalization which allows for bacteria to invade an already impaired host, hypotension (low blood pressure),metabolic disorders, and malnutrition. Oh, and lets not forget...immobility. thats huge. If a patient does not simply move to walk they are at risk for atelectasis which is a collapse of the aveoli which can lead to serious respiratory distress.

The list continues...

So now what am I as a nurse going to do about this?

Assessment is crucial. The patient may demonstrate symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats, pleuritic- type pain (plueral space within the lining of the lungs), fatigue, weight loss, tachypnea (rapid breathing) coughing and purulent sputum (mucus thats infected and discolored)

Upon assessing and confirming these findings, being sure that the patient has a patent airway, the head of the bed is elevated to at least 30 degrees, administration of prescribed medication and analgesics (pain reducers) to promote comfort, enforce liquids and proper nutrition as protocol.

Have you ever been hospitalized? Do you remember that doo-hickey on the side of your bed that you use to inhale?

That's called an incentive spirometer. That is a huge preventative measure for atelectasis and pneumonia. Suck in air into that baby 10 times every hour while awake!

so there is a little insight into a nurses responsibility with this specific illness.

Stay healthy!