In the video: Everything you need to know about pneumococcal pneumonia/Editor: Gilad Mann Mannheim
Dr. Bibiana Hazan - Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Emek Afula Medical Center General Health Services, with everything you need to know about pneumococcal pneumonia.
What is the pneumococcal bacterium?
The bacterium is called Streptococcus pneumoniae, it is part of the natural flora of the respiratory tract, and is found in the nose, in the ears and throat routinely in about 5-10% of adults and about 20-60% of school-aged children. This is a bacteria that has over 100 strains, that is, one group of bacteria under the same name, but each strain is different from the other in terms of their violence In certain situations, this bacterium becomes invasive and causes diseases mainly of the respiratory tract, but not only.
What morbidity can this bacterium cause?
The main morbidity is in the respiratory tract, that is, pneumococcal pneumonia. It may also cause an aggravation of a chronic lung disease, an ear infection, For sinusitis, and other conditions such as meningitis and rarer conditions such as joint infection, genital infection and in addition to these syndromes the bacteria may reach the bloodstream and cause sepsis (sepsis).
In terms of age - the extremes of age are at a particularly high risk/ShutterStock
Does age and certain underlying diseases have an effect on the risk of morbidity caused by the pneumococcal bacteria?
In terms of age - the ends of the ages are at a particularly high risk.
This is about the first year of life and people over the age of 60. In terms of underlying diseases, there are diseases with a particularly increased risk, for example: immunosuppression due to a disease (cancer) or treatment, such as chemotherapy, people with disorders in the activity of the spleen (absence of a spleen or a non-functioning spleen such as in sickle cell disease), people with advanced kidney failure and dialysis patients, cochlear implant, congenital immunosuppression and HIV.
Other groups at risk: patients with heart disease, chronic lung disease, asthma, diabetes, alcoholics, liver damage, heavy smokers and use of drugs that weaken the immune system other than chemotherapy (e.g. biological treatments) and long-term use of high-dose steroids.
Each disease on its own - increases the risk, but a multiplicity of diseases significantly increases the risk.
Why does the risk increase for these groups?
In some cases, it is a weak immune system that is not able to deal optimally with the infectious situation.
In other situations, it is a health that precedes "sickness" and a pneumococcal infection causes aggravation.
In old age there is to some extent "fatigue and weakness" of the immune system - it is less able to successfully deal with a significant infection.
In addition, old age is often accompanied by underlying diseases.
It must be remembered that this is a bacterium with particularly violent potential that may cause the underlying diseases to go out of balance, such as diabetes and asthma.
What are the symptoms of pneumococcal disease?
And what are the least known?
Most often in a respiratory disease the manifestation is fever, cough, shortness of breath, accumulation of thick phlegm.
In ear infection - ear pain, fever and sometimes purulent discharge from the ear.
If it is sinusitis - runny nose, fever, headache.
Meningitis - usually accompanied by fever, rash on the skin, loss of consciousness and sometimes convulsions and coma.
Sepsis is manifested by high fever, chills, decreased consciousness and multisystem collapse.
About 20% of people with pneumococcal pneumonia will be hospitalized/ShutterStock
Could morbidity from this bacteria, such as pneumococcal pneumonia, lead to hospitalization?
Definitely!
About 20% of people with pneumococcal pneumonia will be hospitalized, some will need ventilation and even a stay in intensive care.
Most people with pneumonia will be treated in the community with antibiotics, most will be sick with a high fever and a significant decrease in function for a week or more and eventually most will also recover.
It is important to note what are the signs of worsening, "red flags", which when they appear it is necessary to go to the hospital - extreme shortness of breath, a window in the lips, a significant decrease in the general condition, general lack of improvement after 2-3 days of antibiotic treatment.
What is the average length of hospitalization from pneumococcal pneumonia?
Between 5 days and two weeks.
What are some of the ways you can protect yourself against pneumococcal pneumonia?
- Balance background diseases - treat and balance blood pressure, treat diabetes, asthma, heart failure.
- Smoking cessation
- Vaccines - Vaccine against pneumococcal pneumonia and in addition - Flu vaccine and Corona vaccine - because often a disease that starts as a viral disease such as flu or corona gets complicated into bacterial pneumonia of any kind, including pneumococcal pneumonia.
If someone has had pneumococcal pneumonia in the past - has he developed antibodies and is protected?
Since it is a bacteria that has over 100 varieties, it is possible to get sick many times, each time from a different variety.
Precisely those who have contracted pneumococcal disease are a risk group for recurrent disease due to the underlying diseases.
When can you get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia?
Pneumococcal lung infections occur all year round, a little more in the winter than a flu complication for example, but pneumococcal disease can also be seen in the warm seasons of the year.
You can get vaccinated in any season throughout the year.
Why should you protect yourself against the pneumococcal bacteria?
Prevention of pneumococcal disease may prevent worsening of lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes imbalance, hospitalization, significant impairment of function, respiration and even death.
It is important to mention that the world is dealing with an epidemic of resistant bacteria and this does not spare the pneumococci - the meaning of resistant pneumococci is that when you have an acute illness, for example pneumonia, antibiotics that the patient receives do not help and as a result it is necessary to change antibiotics, sometimes during hospitalization, with a significant risk to the patient following a delay in administration Appropriate antibiotics.
That is why it is so important to prevent the disease because the treatment is not always successful.
What is the most important message that those who watch us / read the article will take to heart?
- Disease can be prevented and not only treated
- The patient's personal responsibility for a healthy lifestyle, balance of background diseases and smoking cessation
- Contact your doctor for a consultation on how you can protect yourself against pneumococcal pneumonia.
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For more information, consult your doctor.
For more information regarding pneumonia, pneumococcal pneumonia |
Pfizer Israel (pfizerisrael.co.il)
PP-PNR-ISR-0037 September 2023
In collaboration with Pfizer
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