Pneumonia Essay

Pneumonia: Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi that inflame the air sacs in the lungs and can causes them to fill with fluid or pus. This can cause coughing, a build up of phlegm, difficulty breathing, fever, and chills. It is most serious if infants and young children, people over the age of 65, and those with a low immune system contract it. (Mayo Clinic Staff; Pneumonia definition) If the doctor believes you have pneumonia he may order a chest x-ray to confirm its presence, and to better pinpoint the location in the lung where the disease is most persistent. If possible, lateral chest images should also be performed. A CT scan of the lungs can also be helpful to detect viral pneumonia and is “frequently

Chest x-rays do not diagnose pulmonary embolism, but they can be done to rule out conditions that mimic the disease. A Duplex Ultrasonography can also be performed, which sends a high frequency sounds that check for clots. A CT scan can also be done. It is much more detailed than X-ray, because a contrast can be given that outlines the pulmonary arteries, making it easier to find clots. A V/Q Lung scan can also be done. There are two steps to this test. First, a patient will inhale radioactive material while a camera takes pictures as the air moves in and out of your lungs. Next, a small amount of this same radioactive material is injected into a vein in your arm, and pictures are taken as the blood flows into your lungs. The doctor compares these two tests, which helps form a diagnosis. The most accurate way to find a pulmonary embolus is to perform a pulmonary angiogram. A catheter is inserted into your groin into a large vein, and is then threaded through your body until it reaches the pulmonary arteries. A special dye then enters the catheter, and X-rays are taken of the traveling dye. (Mayo Clinic Staff, Pulmonary Embolism) My grandpa actually had this test done when he started having chest pain on his daily walks. Even though it is considered a high-risk procedure, it saved his life. From the test, they determined that he had 95% blockage. As I watched the angiogram, no dye was traveling past his clot. We

It is most common in children between 3 months to 6 years because their trachea is small at this age; therefore there is more of a risk of swelling. The infection causes swelling and many secretions in the larynx, trachea, and bronchioles of the lungs. As a result, difficulty breathing occurs and a dried out deep cough begins. Imaging is not essential for diagnosing croup, however, Radiographers will take anterior and lateral x-rays of the neck. This is used to rule out other illnesses such as, foreign bodies, abscesses, epiglottitis, and other possibilities. In some cases where croup is recurrent, patients may need a bronchoscopy or endoscopy to determine why it is reoccurring. (Desai) Croup is normally diagnosed based on clinical assessments. Respiratory Therapists will look at the “respiratory status and rate, retraction, stridor, heart rate, and sometimes pulse oximetry to test the severity of the disease.” (Zoorob) Most of the treatments are self-care, but in some cases a respiratory therapist is needed to perform them. They may administer oxygen when the patient is hypoxic. They may also use humidification therapy, which helps to break up the secretions caused by croup, and make them thinner. They may also administer nebulized epinephrine. In extreme cases, a breathing tube may be needed.