What is Pneumonia?

What is Pneumonia?

• Pneumonia: Infection of the lung by bacteria, viruses or fungus.
• Pneumonia: inflammation of the lungs with consolidation and exudation.
  Source - Diseases Database
• Pneumonia: respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma (excluding the bronchi) with congestion caused by viruses or bacteria or irritants.
  Source - WordNet 2.1

Pneumonia: Introduction

Types of Pneumonia:

Types of Pneumonia:

• Viral pneumonia
  • Influenza
  • Influenza A
• Bacterial pneumonia
• Fungal pneumonia
• Chemical pneumonia - caused by inhaled fumes or chemicals.
• Pneumococcal pneumonia - caused by Streptococcal pneumoniae (pneumococcus) bacteria.
• Legionnaires’ disease - caused by Legionella pneumophila.
• Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia - an opportunistic infection found in AIDS or immune-compromised patients.
• Aspiration pneumonia
• Types of pneumonia based on areas of infection:
  • Lobar pneumonia - localized infection of one or a few lobes
  • Bronchopneumonia - affecting the lungs and airways.
  • Interstitial pneumonia - affecting the connective tissue
• more types...»

Broader types of Pneumonia:

• Lung conditions
• Respiratory infections
• Viral diseases
• Bacterial diseases
• Acute lower respiratory conditions
• more types...»

How many people get Pneumonia?

Incidence (annual) of Pneumonia: 4.8 million annual cases (1996); 1.8 per 100 (NHIS96)
Incidence Rate of Pneumonia: approx 1 in 56 or 1.76% or 4.8 million people in USA [about data]

Who gets Pneumonia?

Race Profile for Pneumonia: Rates of infection are three-times higher in African Americans than in whites and are 5- to 10-times higher in Native-American adults and 10-times higher in Native-American children [J Infect Dis;170:368-76, 1994]. (Source: excerpt from Pneumococcal Pneumonia, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)

How serious is Pneumonia?

Complications of Pneumonia: see complications of Pneumonia
Average life years lost for Pneumonia: 9.5 years for pneumonia/influenza (SEER)¹; 10.9 for pneumonia/influenza in North Carolina²; 4.3 average YPLL/person for pneumonia and influenza in Michigan³.
Deaths for Pneumonia: 61,777 people died from pneumonia each year in the US 2001 (Deaths: Final data for 2001, NCHS, CDC)
Cause of death rank for Pneumonia: 7th leading cause of death in 1999 and 2000 is "pneumonia/influenza" (CDC)

What causes Pneumonia?

Causes of Pneumonia: see causes of Pneumonia
Cause of Pneumonia: Can be bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
Causes of Pneumonia: Streptococcus pneumoniae causes thousands of cases of meningitis and pneumonia, and 7 million cases of ear infection in the United States each year. (Source: excerpt from Antimicrobial Resistance, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Risk factors for Pneumonia: see risk factors for Pneumonia

What are the symptoms of Pneumonia?

Symptoms of Pneumonia: see symptoms of Pneumonia

Complications of Pneumonia: see complications of Pneumonia

Can anyone else get Pneumonia?

More information: see contagiousness of Pneumonia
Inheritance: see inheritance of Pneumonia

Pneumonia: Testing

Diagnostic testing: see tests for Pneumonia.

Misdiagnosis: see misdiagnosis and Pneumonia.

How is it treated?

Treatments for Pneumonia: see treatments for Pneumonia
Research for Pneumonia: see research for Pneumonia

Society issues for Pneumonia

Hospitalization statistics for Pneumonia: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Pneumonia:

• 1.3 million hospitalizations were due to pneumonia annually in the US 2002 (2001 National Hospital Discharge Survey, NCHS, CDC)
• 1.03% (131,593) of hospital episodes were for influenza and pneumonia in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 67% of hospital consultations for influenza and pneumonia required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 51% of hospital episodes for influenza and pneumonia were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 49% of hospital episodes for influenza and pneumonia were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• more statistics...»

Organs Affected by Pneumonia:

Organs and body systems related to Pneumonia include:

• Lung

Name and Aliases of Pneumonia

Main name of condition: Pneumonia

Class of Condition for Pneumonia: viral, bacterial

Pneumonitis, Pulmonary inflammation Source - Diseases Database

Pneumonia: Related Conditions

Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Pneumonia:

• Chronic bronchitis
• COPD
• Emphysema
• Asthma
• Aspergillosis
• Tuberculosis
• Lung abscess
• Pleural effusion
• Pneumothorax
• Flail chest
• Lung collase
• Lung fibrosis
• Pneumoconiosis
• Pneumonia

 » Next page: Online Medical Textbooks for Pneumonia

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