Synonyms
pneumonia after surgery, pneumonia after surgery, pneumonia after surgery, postoperative pneumonia, postoperative pneumonia
Definition
Pneumonia is generally an acute or chronic inflammatory process in the lung tissue. If the pneumonia occurs immediately after surgery, it is called postoperative pneumonia (technical term: pneumonia).
Introduction
An operation always involves a multitude of possible risks. Although complications do not occur after every surgical procedure, physicians must inform patients about possible risks at least 24 hours before a planned surgical procedure. In addition to cardiovascular impairment, wound healing disorders and blood loss, pneumonia is one of the most feared complications that can occur after surgery.
In general, inflammatory processes in the lung tissue can be caused by bacterial as well as viral pathogens or fungi. Since this is a so-called inpatient (synonym: nosocomial) pneumonia, a specific group of pathogens often plays a decisive role. Nosocomial pneumonia, which also includes pneumonia after surgery, is always referred to when the inflammatory processes manifest themselves at the latest two to fourteen days after the hospital stay.
In addition, pneumonia after surgery is divided into two classes: In addition, pneumonia can be divided into two further classes:
- If an actually healthy patient falls ill with pneumonia after an appendectomy, for example, without any particular risk of this disease, it is called primary pneumonia.
- Secondary pneumonia, on the other hand, is found in people who belong to a special risk group. In this context, persons with a restricted immune system, smokers, patients receiving radiation therapy and asthmatics are at particularly high risk.
- Typical pneumonia: A so-called typical pneumonia is caused by bacterial pathogens such as pneumococci or staphylococci.
- Atypical pneumonia: Atypical pneumonia is usually caused by a viral pathogen. Also an infection with fungi or obligatory intracellular bacteria cannot be excluded in atypical pneumonia.
In a typical post-operative pneumonia, the symptoms typically appear suddenly.
The affected patients often develop fever shortly after the operation (a few days). In addition, the inflammatory processes in the lung tissue can lead to an impairment of respiratory function. As a result, the affected patients experience classic symptoms such as rapid, shallow breathing and shortness of breath.
In addition, pneumonia after surgery often leads to general symptoms such as fatigue, tiredness, breath-related pain and productive coughing. Atypical pneumonia after surgery, on the other hand, is typically characterized by a gradual onset of symptoms. In this form of pneumonia, too, the affected persons develop a productive cough, which, however, is comparatively clear and less pronounced. In addition, in atypical pneumonia, there is a lower increase in fever and headache and aching limbs. Also, breathing difficulties that may occur are generally less pronounced in this form of pneumonia.
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