Occurrence of pneumonia in certain situations

Special precautions apply to babies, both in case they are ill themselves and in case their parents or siblings are ill. The immune system of children is not fully developed until the age of 10, it is still learning. Therefore, babies cannot defend themselves against the pathogens as effectively as adults.

On the one hand, this means that they fall ill faster and more often, but it also means that the diseases are more severe because their body has not yet had as much practice in eliminating the bacteria. That is why pneumonia is particularly critical in young children and should always be presented to a doctor. The symptoms are similar to those of adults, but differ in some places: For example, babies and children inherently have an increased breathing rate.

This is however again increased, it comes to the so-called nasal wings, and difficulty in breathing. Due to the rapid breathing, a lot of moisture is breathed out of the body, water loss occurs, and skin retraction occurs, especially in the area of the chest. While older children can still cough up the cough mucus, babies often swallow it and vomit.

High fever and chills are also typical. As this is a life-threatening situation, babies and toddlers are usually hospitalized. The most common pathogens can be vaccinated from the 2nd month of life.

Pneumonia in children is a common infectious disease. The pathogens are mostly bacteria, such as pneumococci, or viruses, such as RS viruses or mycoplasmas. The symptoms are often unspecific, which is why pneumonia can unfortunately remain undetected under certain circumstances.

Common symptoms are fever, cough with or without sputum and a strong feeling of illness. If pneumonia is suspected, a doctor should be consulted immediately so that therapy (antibiotics) can be started early. Pneumonia in children is by no means a rarity.

Basically it is the same clinical picture as in adults: Pneumonia is an infectious inflammation of the lungs that can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. In children, pneumonia is still one of the most common causes of death, especially in developing countries.In the industrialized nations, however, good treatment options are available, so that pneumonia is fatal only in very rare cases. The pathogens are usually transmitted by sneezing or coughing.

A particularly high risk of transmission between children is found in community facilities, where children spend most of their time. These are, for example, schools, kindergartens, sports clubs or even children’s homes. Here the risk of transmission is particularly high due to the close contact.

Infants and toddlers do not have the same mature immune system as adults, so transmission can easily occur. Pre-existing conditions such as cystic fibrosis or asthma increase the risk of children developing pneumonia. The symptoms of pneumonia are not always immediately obvious, especially in small children and infants, unlike in adults.

Infants and toddlers can become conspicuous by an unwillingness to drink and a bloated stomach. Apathetic behavior, high fever and rapid and shallow breathing can also indicate pneumonia. Coughing and the erection of the nostrils when breathing are also typical.

This is called nasal wings. In older children, the symptoms of the disease are similar to those of pneumonia in adults. After operations (surgery), the immune system is weakened because the body has to spend energy to regenerate the operated area.

This is a natural process, and unfortunately unavoidable. The more “construction sites” the body has to deal with, the more susceptible it is to external attacks. In addition, after certain operations ́s, like transplants, it may be necessary anyway to slow down the immune system so that the transplant is not directly rejected again.

If post-operative artificial respiration is added, or large-lumen accesses such as a central venous catheter (central venous catheter) are used, there is also the risk of colonization of the plastic tubes and needles used with pseudomonads. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common pathogens of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) pneumonia. Unfortunately, this circumstance cannot always be prevented even by the strictest hygiene measures, so that after surgery ́s many patients fall ill with a secondary infection. This is favored above all by a long period of stay in the hospital. The largest pathogen load is unfortunately – according to the name – still found in the “hospital”.