9 replies to this topic

[fr0stbound]

as stated in the title. i know it fills your lungs with liquid, therefore preventing you to breathe properly. is that how it kills? by suffocation?

i have a friend who has this kind of pneumonia that is hard to treat. he can't produce any laboratory specimen(sputum) so the doctors can't pinpoint what's causing it. they tried to do this method that takes the liquid by inserting some sort of needle, but found out that this method was impossible because his chest ultrasound stated that "there is no safe window". now, he just undergoes what the doctor calls "empiric treatment". his medications are of high dosage, 750 mg to 1 g tablets.

[tdawnaz]

shug is a nurse and could probably give u better info...but here's what i know from the laboratory standpoint and personal experience

it all depends on the type of pneumonia that he has...viral vs bacterial and then what virus or what bacteria...or it can be caused by some environmental contaminant (some toxin or fiber)

they can get a specimen by suctioning him...or doing a bronchoscopy and getting a tissue sample

there are many medications that fall into those dosages...empiric treatment just means they don't know yet what's causing his pneumonia and they r treating his symptoms maybe with a broadspectrum antibiotic...

but yes ultimately pneumonia prevents adequate oxygen exchange and can carry infection into the blood stream

[SpAwNgOd]

Wait shugs a nurse 

[RyanS]

Wait shugs a nurse 

yeah.  and a very good one at that 

[JokeyMcScrotsack]

shug is a nurse and could probably give u better info...but here's what i know from the laboratory standpoint and personal experience

it all depends on the type of pneumonia that he has...viral vs bacterial and then what virus or what bacteria...or it can be caused by some environmental contaminant (some toxin or fiber)

they can get a specimen by suctioning him...or doing a bronchoscopy and getting a tissue sample

there are many medications that fall into those dosages...empiric treatment just means they don't know yet what's causing his pneumonia and they r treating his symptoms maybe with a broadspectrum antibiotic...

but yes ultimately pneumonia prevents adequate oxygen exchange and can carry infection into the blood stream

Pretty much hit the nail on the head momma. If untreated anything can kill you and pneumonia is one of those things. Generally in younger patients there is not much of a threat from pneumonia. Its in older patients that it kills and usually just due to the fact older people have multiple disease processes working together on their body and it just cant take it. Like momma said there are many different types of pneumonia some more dangerous than others. Oxygen exchange can become a problem but generally by the time that is a problem it will already be diagnosed and treatment under way.

Frosts friend may have a mystery bug. If they are hitting it with broad spectrum antis and it is still not working there may be a larger problem. The pneumonia may be caused from something else or be something else entirely. Could be a simple case of pleural effusion that is mis diagnosed. Wish I could help more but theres not much anyone can do without tons more info on the case.

Wait shugs a nurse 

yeah.  and a very good one at that 

Thanks alot man. 

[fr0stbound]

Pretty much hit the nail on the head momma. If untreated anything can kill you and pneumonia is one of those things. Generally in younger patients there is not much of a threat from pneumonia. Its in older patients that it kills and usually just due to the fact older people have multiple disease processes working together on their body and it just cant take it. Like momma said there are many different types of pneumonia some more dangerous than others. Oxygen exchange can become a problem but generally by the time that is a problem it will already be diagnosed and treatment under way.

Frosts friend may have a mystery bug. If they are hitting it with broad spectrum antis and it is still not working there may be a larger problem. The pneumonia may be caused from something else or be something else entirely. Could be a simple case of pleural effusion that is mis diagnosed. Wish I could help more but theres not much anyone can do without tons more info on the case.

Thanks alot man. 

Thank you very much Sir. he called me this morning and he said the liquid seems to be decreasing, but the doctor can't give pinpoint treatment without those specimen. looks like his medications are working. and the doctor also wants to check for signs of tuberculosis.

anyway, hes still pretty young, 23 years old, if you were wondering. everything is normal except he gets tired easily. and sometimes gasps for breath.

[Conuck]

Sounds like me COPD  with Emphysema.

[tdawnaz]

i don't quite understand why they wouldn't suction him for a sputum sample...gosh could be a rainbow of things that's ain't too pretty...cocci or tb...cocci they could do a blood test tb a skin test...then there is that really bad strain of tb going around...

hope he gets better soon...

[fr0stbound]

i don't quite understand why they wouldn't suction him for a sputum sample...gosh could be a rainbow of things that's ain't too pretty...cocci or tb...cocci they could do a blood test tb a skin test...then there is that really bad strain of tb going around...

hope he gets better soon...

he did a lot of tests lately. cbc, and other tests related to blood. he didn't mention anything about a skin test though.

he's going to take some tests again and a chest xray, and while waiting for the result will continue on his treatment. medical facilities around here aren't that well equipped, maybe that's why some tests couldn't be done. and results take from 10 hours to a couple of days before you get them.

it sucks coz he doesn't smoke, but hangs around with smokers. 2nd hand smoke really screws you up.

[JokeyMcScrotsack]

Thank you very much Sir. he called me this morning and he said the liquid seems to be decreasing, but the doctor can't give pinpoint treatment without those specimen. looks like his medications are working. and the doctor also wants to check for signs of tuberculosis.

anyway, hes still pretty young, 23 years old, if you were wondering. everything is normal except he gets tired easily. and sometimes gasps for breath.

Hope they get it fixed soon man, and you are most welcome. Hope he gets better, sounds like they are getting a grip on what it is. Hopefully not TB but if it is that is treatable. My prayers are with him.

i don't quite understand why they wouldn't suction him for a sputum sample...gosh could be a rainbow of things that's ain't too pretty...cocci or tb...cocci they could do a blood test tb a skin test...then there is that really bad strain of tb going around...

hope he gets better soon...

Sometimes suction is an option sometimes it is not. Suction will get the crap off the top but the crap settled in the bottom of the lungs may have a different bacterium. Pneumonia is kinda misconstrued by most people, its not really just a bunch of fluid "in" the lungs like a balloon half filled with water. The fluid gets in your air sacs and interstitial type spaces. Fluid does get "in" the lungs but that is not all of it. I guess complicated is a good way to explain it.