PNEUMONIA

Pneumonia Treatment in Jumeirah, Dubai

Overview

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that causes coughing, fever, and trouble breathing. It is a serious illness, especially in young children. Pneumonia in toddlers can be caused by bacteria or viruses. The most likely cause of pneumonia depends on the child’s age:

In children older than 5 years, pneumonia is more likely to be caused by bacteria.
In babies and children younger than 5 years, pneumonia is more likely to be caused by a virus.

What are the common symptoms of pneumonia?

Cough
Fever
Breathing faster than normal
Trouble breathing or pain when breathing in
Restlessness or trouble feeding (in babies)

Not all children with pneumonia have the same symptoms. But if your child seems sick and has both a cough and a fever, he or she might have pneumonia.

Alarming signs

Stops breathing
Starts to turn blue or very pale
Has a very hard time breathing
Starts grunting
Looks like he or she is getting tired of having to work so hard to breathe

Pneumonia Treatment

Children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) who are treated in the outpatient setting typically are treated empirically; tests to identify a microbiologic etiology are not recommended for most children who are well enough to be treated in the outpatient setting
Treatment decisions are usually based upon algorithms that include patient age, epidemiologic and clinical information, and diagnostic laboratory and imaging studies
Infants younger than three to six months of age with suspected bacterial CAP or who are hypoxemic (oxygen saturation <90 percent in room air at sea level) should be admitted to the hospital for empiric therapy
For Children between 6 months to 5 years:

Viral Pneumonia: Viral etiologies predominate during early childhood, and apparent viral pneumonia (ie, gradual onset, preceding upper airway symptoms, diffuse findings on auscultation, lack of toxic appearance) should not be treated with antibiotics

Bacterial pneumonia : Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent cause of “typical” bacterial pneumonia in children of all ages .Bacterial pneumonia in preschool children usually causes more severe infection, with abrupt onset and moderate to severe respiratory distress, which may require inpatient therapy.

Pneumonia can be fatal if not treated early. To learn more about treatment options and recovery for pneumonia in your children, contact SHAMMA Clinic in Jumeirah today!