Pneumococcal Pneumonia
什麼是Pneumococcal Pneumonia
The term “pneumonia” refers to any infection of the lungs. Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of viruses, bacteria, and sometimes fungi. Pneumococcal pneumonia is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Pneumococcal pneumonia infects the upper respiratory tract and can spread to the blood, lungs, middle ear, or nervous system.
您如何獲得Pneumococcal Pneumonia？
This infection is acquired by inhaling the bacteria that have been coughed into the air by an infected person. The bacteria can also reach the lungs via the bloodstream when introduced into the body at a different site, e.g. from the nose.
易感性和抵抗力
Previously healthy people can develop pneumococcal pneumonia, but the risk for acquiring the disease is highest among children younger than 2 years old and adults aged 64 years or older.
Susceptibility is also increased among certain populations including: cigarette smokers; persons with underlying illnesses, such as anatomical or functional asplenia (loss of the spleen), sickle cell disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cirrhosis, Hodgkin’s disease, alcoholism, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, chronic renal failure, nephritic syndrome, HIV infection, and recent organ transplants. Malnutrition and low birth weight are important risk factors among infants and young children in developing countries.
有哪些症狀？
Pneumococcal pneumonia usually begins abruptly, although the onset may be less sudden in elderly patients. The first signs of pneumonia in the elderly may be altered mental status, fever, and shortness of breath. General symptoms include: initial severe shaking chills; high fever; fatigue; cough; shortness of breath; rapid breathing; chest pain; production of purulent (containing pus) or blood-tinged sputum; nausea; vomiting; headache.
Complications of pneumococcal pneumonia can include: pneumococcal meningitis (inflammation of the linings of the brain), which presents with a stiff neck, headache, lethargy, or seizures; otitis media or sinusitis (inflammation of the ear and sinuses, respectively), both causing pain in the ears or sinuses; bacteremia (the bacteria invade the bloodstream from the lungs, causing further lung problems and certain heart problems); death, particularly in infants and the elderly.
Death rates vary widely. In developing countries,10 percent of children may die. Among infants under the age of 6 months, the death rate can be as high as 60 percent.
預防措施
有一種疫苗可用於鏈球菌肺炎。截至2008年，有18個工業化國家常規使用肺炎球菌結合疫苗，包括加拿大，澳大利亞，英國和其他西方國家。結果，這些地區的肺炎球菌性肺炎的發生率已大大降低。這種疫苗通常在流感季節給老年人（+65歲）使用，因為當他們感染流感病毒時，他們最容易感染細菌性肺炎。
治療
Pneumococcal infections are usually treated with antibiotics, and the symptoms will usually disappear within 12 to 36 hours after you begin taking the medication.
Many strains of S. pneumoniae are becoming resistant to penicillin, cephalosporin, macrolides, and other drugs, complicating treatment choices. Antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide due to these medicines being overused or misused.
驗證
疫苗接種
通常在哪裡發生？
肺炎球菌性肺炎在全球所有氣候和季節均發生，但冬季在溫帶地區達到高峰。該病更常見於發展中國家，某些地理區域（巴布亞新幾內亞）和某些族裔群體，例如阿拉斯加土著和澳大利亞土著居民。在營養不良的人群和較低的社會經濟群體中感染更為頻繁。
