Pneumonia without sputum

In a typical pneumonia, sputum occurs in the course of the disease. The dry cough finally turns into a cough with sputum. This can be yellowish or mixed with blood.

In atypical pneumonia or mild pneumonia, sputum is not necessarily present. The sputum is often an indication of a disease of the lungs. If it is not detected, it can happen that the pneumonia remains undetected and has been dormant in the body for days. For this reason, if the patient has other symptoms that could indicate pneumonia, he should have himself examined and, if it really is pneumonia, he should be cured properly.

Pneumonia in small children

Young children belong to the risk group that will develop pneumonia more quickly and more frequently. Young children do not yet have a fully developed immune system and can therefore develop pneumonia more quickly if they are infected with the relevant pathogens. In small children, an infection of the lungs can often make itself felt differently than in adults.

Typical symptoms include a bloated abdomen, headache and aching limbs. Other signs of pneumonia may include high fever, changes in children’s behavior, rapid breathing, unwillingness to drink, reduced appetite and an increased heart rate. Even in children, pneumonia is not always accompanied by coughing.

Parents should always consult a doctor with their sick child. In an anamnesis interview, the doctor treating the child first asks about the symptoms. He often goes into more detail about fever, whether coughing and sputum occur, and shortness of breath.

In this way, he or she already directs the cause of the illness to the lungs. Finally, the classic listening with a stethoscope follows. During auscultation, the physician typically hears rales during breathing, which may indicate the presence of pneumonia.

The breathing sounds are produced when the alveoli are displaced by mucus in different areas of the lung. The doctor also pats the back. The physician can also differentiate between healthy and diseased lungs during percussion.

Furthermore, an X-ray examination can confirm the suspicion of pneumonia. Bright shadows may appear in the X-ray image. These areas become dense and inflamed.

This also allows the extent and location of the inflammation to be assessed. A bronchoscopy, in which the lung is examined with flexible optics, can also be used to take a smear directly from the lung. If the patient has a sputum, this can also be sent for laboratory analysis. In this way the exact pathogen causing the inflammation can be determined, which is important for subsequent treatment with an antibiotic. A blood test can also reveal various signs of pneumonia, such as an increase in leukocytes and CRP.