Pneumonia Overview

Necrotizing Pneumonia with abscess formation

- A very serious complication seen in patients who have had either lobar or bronchopneumonia, but who did not seek treatment or were unresponsive to the treatment they received.

- Signs and symptoms include:

•         Fever

•         Pleurisy (chest pain when you breath; pleura are particularly sensitive)

•         Putrid sputum (smells really bad when the patient coughs into a cup)

•         Empyema (pus in the pleural space; a late complication)

- Mortality 10-15%

Summarizing Viral vs. Bacterial Pneumonia 

With viral pneumonia:

            - get alveolar injury à causes interstitial pneumonitis

With pyogenic bacterium:

- get intra-alveolar pneumonitis with either lobar or

bronchopneumonis

            - alveolar walls more or less spared

* Patient will not know the difference – will have fever and shortness of breath with both types of pneumonia. 

Remember when a patient presents with pneumonia, the doctor does not automatically do a biopsy.  A biopsy is only done if the patient doesn’t respond to therapy or if an unusual organism is suspected.

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