Pneumonia one of the leading causes of hospitalization in Mexico

Pneumonia one of the leading causes of hospitalization in Mexico

• Jorge Salas Hernández stressed that November 12 is World Day for this disease, which is so common that anyone can suffer from it.

In Mexico, according to the National Public Health Institute, more than 127,000 new cases of pneumonia and bronchopneumonia were diagnosed in 2021, mainly affecting this population and adults over 65 years of age, although it occurs at any age. In 2020, more than 57,000 people died from pneumonia and influenza.

According to Jorge Salas Hernández, a scholar at the School of Medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and a member and former director of the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, this is the leading cause of hospitalization in adults and infants in our country. one.

At the institute, “it is one of the top five causes of hospitalization.” He emphasized in an interview that it is a very common disease: millions of people around the world are infected and thousands of people die.

On the occasion of World Pneumonia Day on November 12, he emphasized that pneumonia can be cured as long as patients seek medical treatment in time and start treatment on time.

To prevent this, “you must get vaccinated and practice respiratory care. This is a common infection that anyone can catch, but some people are at greater risk. When experiencing respiratory symptoms that occur during the winter, it’s best to It’s better to see a doctor,” he emphasized.

Salas Hernández mentioned that pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs due to the presence of microorganisms. It is an acute infection caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.

The most common are bacterial infections, which are caused by: Streptococcus pneumoniaeAlthough certain viruses can also cause complex forms of upper respiratory tract infections, such as SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts detailed that this condition depends on each person’s situation. For example, in previously healthy people, it can cause various symptoms, mainly respiratory and general discomfort, including cough and phlegm.

Depending on the severity of the condition, symptoms such as difficulty breathing, increased breathing and heart rate, or fever may be recorded, the intensity of which varies depending on the severity.

For those with chronic medical conditions, their previous symptoms may be exacerbated. For example, people with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience more coughing, phlegm production, and difficulty breathing; people with diabetes have uncontrolled blood sugar, and people with high blood pressure have uncontrolled blood pressure.

Likewise, the report states that most people suffer from acute respiratory symptoms such as bronchitis, a disease with symptoms similar to pneumonia, namely cough, phlegm, fever or malaise. The difference is that in the latter diagnosis, in addition to clinical diagnosis, there is also a radiological diagnosis: a chest X-ray shows a white spot in the patient’s lungs, which means that the area is inflamed due to infection. The changes can be recorded in a small area, in half or an entire organ, or in both lungs.

most affected

The university student reiterated that there are risk factors and that groups of people are more susceptible to this infection: young children with immature immune systems, and older adults with weakened defense mechanisms.

There are also those with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular or diabetes, as well as smokers, people with immunosuppression and, of course, those with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD.

Experts explain that while there may be multiple routes of transmission, the most common is through the respiratory tract, where the microorganisms are “inhaled” during contact with a sick person. To prevent this, it is recommended to be vaccinated according to the frequency specified in the national vaccination card to obtain antibodies.

Except for infants and young children, people over 50 years old should be vaccinated every five years (the validity period of the vaccine) regardless of whether they belong to the risk group. “Healthy people don’t think they can get sick, but these infections are common.”

Other measures we have learned during the pandemic apply to winter, the highest-risk season: avoid poorly ventilated and crowded places; use masks, especially on public transportation; and wash hands frequently.

If infection occurs, treatment consists primarily of antibiotics; most commonly penicillin and its derivatives. “Ideally a bacteriological study of the sputum would be performed to pinpoint the causative organism, but in most cases it is pneumococci, which are susceptible to the drug.”

Treatment is oral and outpatient (at home), especially for previously healthy people, or those who have not shown severe severity. Otherwise, choose in-hospital intravenous therapy management. Elderly people with diabetes, hypertension, and pneumonia are at risk for complications and infections of other organs; in these cases, prevention and hospitalization are best.

Although recovery usually occurs, in which the microorganisms are eliminated and the infection ends, severe inflammation may cause some damage to the lungs, such as bronchi deformation. “If detected early and treated appropriately, this condition should have no sequelae,” Salas Hernandez asserted.

November 12 is World Pneumonia Day, established in 2009 by the Stop Pneumonia initiative to raise awareness of this public health issue and help prevent the avoidable loss of life that occurs every year.

https://covid19comvision.unam.mx/

—oOo—