医学英语口语：肺炎

医学英语口语：肺炎

pneumonia

alternative names

pneumonitis; bronchopneumonia; community-acquired pneumonia

definition

pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection. many different organisms can cause it, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year in the united states.

pneumonia can range from mild to severe, even fatal. the severity depends on the type of organism causing pneumonia as well as your age and underlying health.

causes, incidence, and risk factors

bacterial pneumonias tend to be the most serious and, in adults, the most common cause, especially streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).

respiratory viruses are the most common causes of pneumonia in young children, peaking between the ages of 2 and 3. by school age, the bacterium mycoplasma pneumoniae becomes more common.

in some people, particularly the elderly and those who are debilitated, bacterial pneumonia may follow influenza or even a common cold.

many people contract pneumonia while staying in a hospital for other conditions. this tends to be more serious because the patient's immune system is often impaired due to the condition that initially required treatment. in addition, there is a greater possibility of infection with bacteria

that are resistant to antibiotics.

see also：

· aspiration pneumonia

· atypical pneumoniacmv pneumonia

· hospital-acquired pneumonia

· legionella pneumonia

· pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

· pneumonia in immunocompromised host

· viral pneumonia

· walking pneumonia

symptoms

the main symptoms of pneumonia are：

· cough with greenish or yellow mucus; bloody sputum happens on occasion

· fev er with shaking chills

· sharp or stabbing chest pain worsened by deep breathing or coughing

· rapid, shallow breathing

· shortness of breathadditional symptoms include：

· headache

· excessive sweating and clammy skin

· loss of appetite

· excessive fatigue

· confusion in older people

signs and tests

if you have pneumonia, you may be working hard to breathe, or may be breathing fast. crackles are heard when listening to your chest with a stethoscope. other abnormal breathing sounds may also be heard through the stethoscope or via percussion (tapping on your chest wall).

the following tests may show signs of pneumonia：

· chest x-ray

· gram's stain and culture of your sputum to look for the organism causing your symptoms

· cbc to check white blood cell count; if high, this suggests bacterial infection

· arterial blood gases to check how well you are oxygenating your blood

· thoracic ct