Definition
As the name of the disease anticipates, pneumonia is an acute or chronic inflammatory process affecting the lung; more precisely, it is an inflammation that involves the interstitial tissue and / or the alveolar spaces of the lung.
Causes
Most often, pneumonia results from viral, fungal or bacterial infections; however, pulmonary inflammation can be caused by fungi, parasites or, again, by the inhalation of toxic substances. Finally, even mechanical damage to the lung can turn into a possible trigger for pneumonia.
Risk factors for pneumonia: abuse of cortisone drugs, diabetes, neonatal or senile age, renal / cardiac failure, debilitating chronic diseases, cancer
Symptoms
Generally, pneumonia appears suddenly, reporting the typical symptoms of influenza: chills, severe chest pain and cough (dry in viral pneumonias, fat with greenish catarrh in bacterial pneumonia). Pneumonia is characterized by: halitosis, weakness, dyspnea, muscle pain, headache, sweating, accelerated breathing.
Diet
Information on Pneumonia - Medicines for the Treatment of Pneumonia is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Pneumonia - Pneumonia Drugs.
drugs
We have seen that, in most cases, pneumonia depends on bacterial or fungal infections: in the first case, the disease is treated with targeted or broad-spectrum antibiotics. When pneumonia depends on fungal infections, the patient is treated with antifungals; when instead the responsible agent is a virus, the patient is advised to take large quantities of liquids and possibly undertake a therapeutic procedure based on the intake of antiviral drugs.
Clearly, before taking medications, the doctor must assess the degree of infection severity, the severity of the symptoms and the patient's health status.
In more severe forms of pneumonia, supportive respiratory therapy may be required; antitussive drugs and painkillers are possibly useful to calm the cough and to ease the pain.
Drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated pneumonia
- Amoxicillin (eg. Augmentin, Klavux): belonging to the class of penicillins, treatment with the drug should be continued for 7-10 days, taken at a dose of 500 mg 3 times a day (alternatively, take 875 mg of drug 2 times per day).
- Ampicillin (eg Ampilux, Amplital, Unasyn) administer 1-2 g of drug intravenously every 4-6 hours for 7-10 days. Ampicillin must often be associated with other drugs, depending on the nature of the infection.
- Benzylpenicillin (eg Benzil B, Penicillin G) takes 1-2 million units of intravenous drug every 4 hours for one or two weeks, depending on the nature of the infection. In case of severity, take 250-500 mg of the drug every 6 hours.
- Telithromycin (eg Ketek) the antibiotic drug (macrolide class), available in 400 mg tablets, is indicated for the treatment of mild or medium-sized pneumonia, as well as being useful also for treating pharyngitis. It is recommended to take one tablet once a day, before or after meals, for 7-10 days.
The drugs described above are generally used for the treatment of uncomplicated pneumonia in the absence of previous lung diseases. In case of penicillin allergy, erythromycin is recommended (eg Erythrocin, Erythro L, Lauromycin), Clarithromycin (eg Biaxin, Macladin, Klacid, Soriclar, Veclam) or azithromycin (eg Azithromycin, Zitrobiotic, Rezan, Azitrocin).
- Flucloxacillin (eg Flucacid, Liderclox, Nepenic): the drug is used in case of suspected or ascertained staphylococcal pneumonia (eg measles-dependent pneumonia). The drug treatment should be continued for 14-21 days.
Drugs for the treatment of pneumonia with unknown aetiology
When pneumonia is suspected but the responsible cause is not known, the doctor generally prescribes:
- Cefuroxime (class: cephalosporins. Ex. Cefoprim, Tilexim, Zoref, Zinnat): for the treatment of uncomplicated pneumonia, take the drug at a dose of 750 mg intravenously or intramuscularly every 8 hours. In case of complications, take the drug at a dose of 1.5 g, three times a day. When there is a marked improvement in symptoms, the doctor can change the parenteral therapy, so that the patient can continue taking the drug orally (250-500 mg per os every 8 hours for 7-21 days). Cefuroxime may also be associated with erythromycin, as prescribed by a doctor (in general, the associated therapy lasts 10 days).
In case of suspected infection with Staphylococcus, also associate flucloxacillin: prolong the therapy for 14-21 days, also for legionella infections.
Drugs for the treatment of atypical pneumonia
- Erythromycin (eg Erythrocin, Erythro L, Lauromycin) administer this drug (macrolide) at a dose of 250-500 mg every 6 hours when it is a moderate form of pneumonia. If the lung infection is more severe, it is recommended to administer the drug intravenously at a dose of 1-4 g divided into 4 doses (every 6 hours).
- Clarithromycin (eg Biaxin, Macladin, Klacid, Soriclar, Veclam) is recommended to take the drug at a dose of 250-500 mg every 12 hours (in the case of suspected infection with Haemophilus influenzae, take 500 mg of the drug). The therapy should be continued for 7-14 days in the case of pneumococcal pneumonia, and for 14-21 days when pneumonia depends on another nature. However, it is good to remember that the duration of the therapy must always be established by the doctor on the basis of the etiological factor and the severity of the infection.
- Azithromycin (eg Azithromycin, Zitrobiotic, Rezan, Azitrocin) this macrolide is particularly useful in case of legionella pneumonia. It should be administered intravenously once daily at a dose of 500 mg. After 2 days of therapy, take the drug orally (500 mg) once a day for 7-10 days.
- Rifampicin (eg Rifampic) in case of legionella pneumonia, take the antibiotic at a dose of 600 mg orally or intravenously. Erythromycin can be associated. Consult your doctor.
- Tetracycline (eg. Tetrac C, Pensulvit, Ambramycin) in the case of chlamydial o Microcytoplasm infection, as part of the flu, take the drug at a dose of 500 mg every 6 hours for 10-21 days, depending on the nature of the infection .
- Cefotaxima (eg Cefotaxima, Aximad, Lirgosin) in case of Pseudomonas pneumonia, take this antibiotic (cephalosporin) intravenously or intramuscularly (1-2 g) every 6-8 hours. Do not exceed 2 grams ev every 4 hours. The duration of the therapy is 7-21 days.
NB it is important to complete the therapy even when the symptoms disappear after a few days: this practice is essential to reduce the risk of relapse and the development of antibiotic resistance.
Therapeutic aids to ease pneumonia symptoms:
Painkillers : they are particularly useful for calming pain caused by pneumonia and for flare-up.
- Naproxen (eg Aleve, Naprorex): it is advisable to take one 550 mg capsule twice a day (every 12 hours, unless further instructions from the doctor), as needed.
- Ibuprofen (eg. Brufen, Kendo, Moment): take on the palate 200 to 400 mg of active ingredient (tablets, effervescent sachets) every 4-6 hours, as needed. In some cases, the analgesic can be administered intravenously (400 to 800 mg every 6 hours).
- Paracetamol (or acetaminophen, eg Tachipirina, Efferalgan, Sanipirina) for acute pains of pneumonia associated with alteration of body temperature. Taken orally in the form of tablets, syrup, effervescent sachets, or suppositories, the drug is generally administered at a dose of 325 - 650 mg every 4-6 hours for 6-8 consecutive days, in order to lower the fever.
Antitussives : useful for reducing cough, which often accompanies pneumonia. Even if previously observed, it is good to remember that in case of pneumonia, antitussive drugs should not be taken in excessive quantities, since the cough is a defensive mechanism that helps the body to eliminate the pathogen responsible for the infection.
For example, dextromethorphan (eg. Aricodylosse, Bisolvon Cough, Ozopulmin) may be useful: the drug is usually administered in the form of syrups or tablets, at a dosage of 15-60 mg 2-3 times a day. Do not exceed 120 mg per day. At a dose of 200-300 mg per day the drug creates visual hallucinations and possible alteration of the heart rhythm.
Among the natural remedies against cough, we mention honey, acacia extract and licorice, useful for exerting an antitussive-peripheral action in the context of pneumonia.
