Vaccination associated to this disease are Measles

Vaccination associated to this disease are Measles

Pneumonia is a disease of parenchymal tissue inflammation in the lungs. This disease is a severe infection that often occurs in infants and children. In Europe and North America the incidence reaches 34-40 cases per 1000 children per year.

When confirming diagnosis of pneumonia, a doctor must decide it based on the complete anamnesis (interview with the patient) and a physical examination. Sometimes he needs to do a chest x-ray and laboratory tests. In children, age is an important factor in diagnosis. Pneumonia in neonates (newborn babies) aged less than three weeks is usually transmitted from the mother at birth. Common causes are Escherichia coli, Streptococcus group B, and Listeria monocytogenes. At the age of 3 weeks to 3 months the main cause of bacterial pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae and viruses. Common causes of pneumonia at age 4 months to 5 years is a kind of virus named respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms that led to the diagnosis of pneumonia in children are fever, cyanosis (bluish, especially on the lips), and more from one of the symptoms of respiratory distress, they are: rapid breathing (tachypnea), cough, nose flaring, and retracted chest wall . Moreover, there is an additional voice in breathing. If the child is able to communicate/talk, he/she will complain of shortness of breath.