Pneumonia: Can You Survive It?

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection of the lungs that can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.

Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the Philippines, pneumonia is the third leading cause of death across all ages and is the most common cause of death among children under 5 years of age. Older people have a higher risk of contracting pneumonia, and are more likely to die from it if they get the infection.

Patients with pneumonia may require hospitalization or even admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). After developing pneumonia, a patient often takes 6-8 weeks until returning to their normal level of functioning and wellbeing. The 30-day mortality rate for pneumonia is 5 to 10 percent of hospitalized patients. It can reach up to 30 percent in those admitted to intensive care.

Pneumonia is the most common cause of sepsis and septic shock, causing 50% of all episodes. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues. Septic shock is a life-threatening condition that happens when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level after an infection.

Antibiotics can be effective for many of the bacteria that cause pneumonia. Unfortunately, antibiotic resistance is growing among the bacteria that cause pneumonia due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in and out of hospitals. New and more effective antibiotics are urgently needed. For pneumonia caused by viruses, antibiotics are ineffective and should not be used. There are few or no treatments for most viral causes of pneumonia.

Consult your doctor for more information on pneumonia.

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References:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pneumonia. Accessed 24 August 2022
https://www.healthline.com/health/pneumonia/can-you-die-from-pneumonia#risk. Accessed 24 August 2022
http://www.pidsphil.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/003_vol-22-no-2_SANTOS_PNEUMONIA.pdf. Accessed 26 August 2022
https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/top-pneumonia-facts.pdf. Accessed 26 August 2022
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sepsis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351214. Accessed 26 August 2022
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/blood-and-lymph/septic-shock#:~:text=Septic%20shock%20is%20a%20life,to%20a%20reaction%20called%20sepsis. Accessed 26 August 2022