Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Walking pneumonia: What you should know

Not all medical conditions have names that spell out their meaning, but "walking pneumonia" seems to be an exception.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Toothbrushing and hospital infection prevention Q&A

Rupak Datta, MD, Ph.D., MPH, is an assistant professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and an assistant hospital epidemiologist in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. His ...

Health

Staying up to date with adult vaccinations for the new year

Personal health is often among the top New Year's resolutions each January. Beyond diet and exercise, Dr. John Presutti, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, says the start of a new year is a good calendar reminder to ...

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Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs (alveoli)—associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space (consolidation) on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes. Infectious agents include: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Typical symptoms include cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. Diagnostic tools include x-rays and examination of the sputum. Vaccines to prevent certain types of pneumonia are available. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Presumed bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics.

Although pneumonia was regarded by William Osler in the 19th century as "the captain of the men of death", the advent of antibiotic therapy and vaccines in the 20th century have seen radical improvements in survival outcomes. Nevertheless, in the third world, and among the very old, the very young and the chronically ill, pneumonia remains a leading cause of death.

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