Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a term often used as a synonym for pneumonia but can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess and acute bronchitis. Symptoms include shortness of breath , weakness, fever , coughing and fatigue. [ 3 ]
The lower respiratory tract consists of the trachea (windpipe), bronchial tubes, bronchioles, and the lungs. [6] Lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs) are generally more severe than upper respiratory infections. LRIs are the leading cause of death among all infectious diseases. [7] The two most common LRIs are bronchitis and pneumonia. [8]
Pneumococcal pneumonia is a type of bacterial pneumonia that is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). [1] It is the most common bacterial pneumonia found in adults, the most common type of community-acquired pneumonia, and one of the common types of pneumococcal infection. The estimated number of Americans with pneumococcal ...
Necrotizing pneumonia (NP), also known as cavitary pneumonia or cavitatory necrosis, is a rare but severe complication of lung parenchymal infection. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] In necrotizing pneumonia, there is a substantial liquefaction following death of the lung tissue, which may lead to gangrene formation in the lung.
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), also known as bronchoalveolar washing, is a diagnostic method of the lower respiratory system in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into an appropriate airway in the lungs, with a measured amount of fluid introduced and then collected for examination.
Diagnosis of pneumonia is made clinically, rather than on the basis of a particular test. [13] Evaluation begins with a physical examination by a health provider, which may reveal fever, an increased respiratory rate , low blood pressure (hypotension), a fast heart rate (tachycardia) and changes in the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Pneumonitis describes general inflammation of lung tissue. [1] [2] Possible causative agents include radiation therapy of the chest, [3] exposure to medications used during chemo-therapy, the inhalation of debris (e.g., animal dander), aspiration, herbicides or fluorocarbons and some systemic diseases.
About a third of patients will experience a fever, but fevers due to acute bronchitis rarely rise above 100 °F (37.8 °C) or last longer than a few days. [14] As fever and other systemic symptoms are less common in acute bronchitis than in pneumonia, their presence raises suspicion for the latter, [15] [16] especially high or persistent fevers ...