Pulmonology focuses on diagnosing and treating lung and airway conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, as well as overall respiratory health.
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Pneumonia is a serious inflammation of the lung tissue, mainly affecting the tiny air sacs called alveoli. In this condition, pus and fluid build up in the alveoli, making it hard for the lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or by inhaling irritants or foreign materials. The inflammation causes the lung tissue to become solid instead of air-filled, a process called consolidation. At Liv Hospital, we see pneumonia as a complex problem that requires careful identification of the cause and a personalized treatment plan to prevent complications like sepsis or respiratory failure.
To understand what pneumonia is, it’s helpful to know a bit about the lower respiratory tract. The lungs end in millions of small, thin-walled sacs called alveoli, which are surrounded by many tiny blood vessels.
Alveolar Consolidation Mechanisms
In healthy lungs, these sacs fill with air when you breathe in, allowing for gas exchange. With pneumonia, the immune system reacts to infection by sending white blood cells, proteins, and fluid into the alveoli. This buildup, known as consolidation, is a key sign of pneumonia. It blocks air from entering the sacs, which can cause low oxygen levels. Consolidation can affect a small area or spread to both lungs, which is called double pneumonia.
Although pneumonia usually means the alveoli are filled with fluid, the pattern of inflammation can change depending on what causes the infection.
Lobar Pneumonia Characteristics
Lobar pneumonia is a type where a large, continuous part of a lung lobe becomes solid from infection. It is usually caused by bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae. The infection spreads quickly through the lung, showing up as a dense area on chest X-rays. This type often starts suddenly and causes more severe symptoms.
Interstitial Pneumonia Features
Interstitial pneumonia mainly affects the tissue around the alveoli, called the interstitium. This type is more common with viral infections or unusual bacteria like Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Instead of making the lung solid, the inflammation thickens the walls of the air sacs, which looks patchy on scans. This is often seen in walking pneumonia, where symptoms may be mild even if the X-ray shows more changes.
It is important to know where a person got pneumonia because this helps predict which germs are involved and how they might respond to antibiotics.
Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)
This is the most common type of pneumonia and happens to people outside hospitals or clinics. Germs like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and some viruses usually cause it, and they often respond to regular antibiotics. Community-acquired pneumonia can be mild or very serious, sometimes leading to hospital stays.
Hospital Acquired Pneumonia (HAP)
Hospital-acquired pneumonia starts at least 48 hours after someone is admitted to the hospital and was not present before. It is often caused by stronger, drug-resistant germs like Pseudomonas aeruginosa or MRSA. People who get this type are usually already sick, so the risk of serious complications or death is higher.
Aspiration pneumonia happens when someone breathes in food, saliva, or stomach contents into their lungs, causing infection.
Mechanisms of Injury
Aspiration pneumonia involves two problems: irritation from stomach acid and infection from bacteria in the mouth. It is most common in people who have trouble swallowing or are not fully alert, such as after anesthesia, a stroke, or heavy alcohol use. If not treated quickly, the material in the lungs can let bacteria grow and cause lung abscesses.
Many different germs can cause pneumonia, so accurate lab tests are needed to find out which one is responsible.
Bacterial pneumonia is frequently the most severe form. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Other typical bacteria include Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Atypical bacteria, such as Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, cause a distinct clinical syndrome often referred to as atypical pneumonia.
Viruses also cause many cases of pneumonia, especially in children and older adults. The flu virus is a major cause and can lead to severe pneumonia or make it easier for bacteria to infect the lungs. Other common viruses include RSV, adenoviruses, and coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2.
People with weak immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or organ transplants, can get pneumonia from germs that usually do not cause illness in healthy people.
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a serious lung infection caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii. It mostly affects people with weakened immune systems. PCP causes increasing shortness of breath and needs special treatment that is different from regular antibiotics.
Other fungi, like Histoplasma capsulatum and Coccidioides immitis, can cause pneumonia in certain parts of the world. These infections can look like tuberculosis and need antifungal medicine.
Pneumonia is more than just a lung infection. It can cause a strong inflammatory response throughout the body.
When the lungs are infected, they release cytokines into the bloodstream. These cause symptoms like fever, tiredness, and muscle aches. In severe cases, the immune response can get out of control, leading to sepsis, shock, or organ failure. This is why patients may need more than just antibiotics; they may also need support for their whole body.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Pneumonia is medically defined as an acute infection of the lung parenchyma that causes inflammation and the accumulation of fluid or pus in the alveoli, leading to impaired gas exchange.
Yes, walking pneumonia is an informal term for a milder form of atypical pneumonia, usually caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, where the patient is often well enough to walk around and does not require bed rest.
Pneumonia itself is not infectious, but the viruses and bacteria that cause it are; they can be spread through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.
Double pneumonia is a term used to describe pneumonia that affects multiple lobes in both lungs simultaneously, which can potentially lead to more severe respiratory compromise.
Aspiration causes pneumonia when food, liquid, saliva, or vomit is inhaled into the lungs instead of being swallowed, introducing bacteria and causing chemical irritation in the airways.
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