Antibiotics for pneumonia
Pneumonia is one of the most common and severe diseases of the respiratory system. Its cause, as a rule, are pathogenic microorganisms, so the basis for the treatment of the pathological process are antibiotics-drugs that act directly on the causative agent of the disease.
The success of treatment of pneumonia and the patient’s condition in the future largely depends on the correct choice of medicines and compliance with the conditions of their reception.
Consider in detail by name, what to treat, what drugs to drink against pneumonia, what injections are given in severe forms of the disease in adults and children, as well as how many days the temperature can be kept, when treated with antibiotics.
Pneumonia: types of disease
Experts classify the disease depending on the severity of its course, the mechanism of development, the type of pathogen. in addition, there is a classification that separates the disease depending on the area of damage to the lung tissue.
Depending on the degree of lung tissue damage, there are 3 types of pathology:
- One-sided. This type is considered the most mild form of inflammation. Only a small area of the right or left lung is affected. Usually, the focus is small and does not provoke severe symptoms.
- Bilateral. In this case, the right and left lungs are involved in the process. They form foci of different sizes, which complicate the course of pathology. Usually, the disease is severe and can cause complications.
- Total. The most severe form of pneumonia, when the process involves not only the lung tissue, but also the root zones of the lungs. at the same time, the patient’s condition is critical, in most cases, with untimely treatment, the risk of complications increases.
Depending on the severity of the course of the pathological process, pneumonia of mild, moderate and severe degrees is distinguished. The latter is considered the most dangerous, the second is quite common, and the first often occurs in a hidden form, which can also provoke unpleasant consequences.
If we take into account the nature of the course of the disease and its onset, we can distinguish acute and chronic forms.
Acute occurs primarily and immediately provokes pronounced symptoms.
Chronic occurs with less pronounced signs, from 2 to 4 times a year, the patient has a relapse. In some cases, relapses are severe.
Depending on the mechanism of development of pathology, several forms of inflammation are also distinguished.
primary pneumonia becomes an independent disease, secondary-a consequence of another inflammatory process.
Post-traumatic and post-infarction – the result of stagnation of sputum in the lungs with prolonged stay in a horizontal position and violation of blood outflow in the small circle of blood circulation.
In addition, there are postoperative types of inflammation of the lung tissue, the mechanism of development of which is similar to post-traumatic. Depending on the type of pathogen, viral and bacterial pneumonia are isolated, as well as fungal, protozoal and mixed. The second type is considered the most common and responds well to treatment if it is started in a timely manner.
Principles of prescribing
Antibiotics for pneumonia are selected by the doctor, based on a number of general principles, the observance of which is extremely important for the successful outcome of therapy.
- In the treatment of pneumonia, a combination of several antimicrobial drugs is used – usually 2-3 names.
- Before taking any antibiotic, the doctor should make sure that the patient is not allergic to drugs from this group. In addition, you should take into account the age of the patient, the characteristics of his body, concomitant diseases and contraindications.
- Before determining the pathogen of the pathological process, the patient is prescribed first-line antibiotics, usually from new-generation drugs or penicillin group. you need to take them regularly, so that the necessary concentration of the active substance is constantly maintained in the blood.
- After the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed a drug that has a therapeutic effect on a specific type of bacteria – most often broad-spectrum antibiotics. If a person has been diagnosed with atypical pneumonia caused by chlamydia, mycoplasma or legionella, you need to take special medications – for example, summamed or clarithromycin, additionally using broad-spectrum drugs.
- Antimicrobial therapy must be supplemented with symptomatic treatment – antipyretic, expectorant, general tonic drugs.
The effectiveness of antibiotic therapy depends on the correct selection of the treatment regimen and compliance with the conditions for taking medications. Antimicrobial drugs enter the focus of inflammation with the blood flow, after which they affect pathogenic microorganisms in different ways – some (bactericidal) destroy their structure, others, which are called bacteriostatic, prevent the reproduction of bacteria.
The most effective drugs for adults and children are considered to be a new generation of broad-spectrum drugs, as they are able to fight several types of pathogenic microorganisms.