Respiratory Diseases
Amy J. Litterini, Christopher M. Wilson in Physical Activity and Rehabilitation in Life-threatening Illness, 2021
Respiratory infections are a major public health concern globally. Pneumonia, a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection of the alveoli, can occur in one or both lungs. Most frequently diagnosed on a chest radiograph, pneumonia is usually defined as community-acquired or hospital-acquired. The most common form of bacterial pneumonia is associated with streptococcus (pneumococcus), while many types of viral pneumonia are associated with pathogens such as influenza and coronavirus. Those at a higher risk for acquiring bacterial pneumonia include older individuals, those recovering from injury, illness, or surgery, those with concurrent medical conditions, and/or individuals with tobacco use disorder. Those with viral pneumonia are at risk of developing bacterial pneumonia. A rarer form of pneumonia, chemical pneumonia, is associated with lung inflammation caused by exposure to liquids, gases, or small particles.
Vitamin C in Pneumonia and Sepsis
Qi Chen, Margreet C.M. Vissers in Vitamin C, 2020
Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that can be caused by a range of microorganisms, including those of bacterial, fungal, or viral origin [11]. These microorganisms reach the lower respiratory tract and, dependent on microbial virulence factors, the host's immune defenses, and integrity of barriers, cause inflammation in the alveoli and consequently result in pneumonia. Diagnosis is usually determined through radiographic imaging, indicating shadowing of a lobe or segment of the lung, and the clinician's clinical assessment, and empiric treatment is through prompt antimicrobial intervention. Symptoms include cough, fever, aches, sweating, and shivering, and some patients may present with pleuritic chest pain and confusion [12]. Lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In 2016, lower respiratory infections caused nearly 2.4 million deaths worldwide, making lower respiratory infections the sixth leading cause of mortality for all ages and the leading cause of death among children younger than 5 years [13]. This equated to more than 335 million episodes of lower respiratory infections and more than 65 million hospital admissions in 2016. Lower respiratory infection mortality is high in the elderly, and rates are increasing due to an increasing aging population, with the number of adults older than 70 years increasing by 50% between 2000 and 2016 [14].
Does Immune Dysfunction in Depression Cause Medical Illness? Evaluation of The Epidemiological Evidence
Alan J. Husband in Psychoimmunology CNS-Immune Interactions, 2019
If the immune dysfunction which occurs in depressive disorders results in new episodes of medical illness then one would expect to find: a) increased medical morbidity and/or mortality in depressed patients over time; and b) increased rates of specific disorders, such as malignancies and infection, which are associated with a compromised immune response. We review the available epidemiological evidence from both community and hospital-treated populations. While death from natural causes appears to be elevated by a factor of two in die most severely depressed patients, there are significant interactions between depression severity, age, exposure to treatment within an institution and concurrent and/or pre-existing physical illnesses. Rates of malignancy do not appear to be elevated in most depressive syndromes. Deaths from respiratory infections are common in patients in institutional care, but are likely to reflect increased exposure to pathogens rather than host factors. The incidence of minor viral infections may be elevated in depressed patients. At best, current epidemiological evidence provides only limited support for the hypothesis that the immune changes which accompany some depressive disorders increase the incidence of relevant physical illnesses.
Precipitating factors of heart failure decompensation, short-term morbidity and mortality in patients attended in primary care
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 2020
José María Verdu-Rotellar, Helene Vaillant-Roussel, Rosa Abellana, Lea Gril Jevsek, Radost Assenova, Djurdjica Kasuba Lazic, Peter Torsza, Liam George Glynn, Heidrun Lingner, Jacopo Demurtas, Beata Borgström, Sylvaine Gibot-Boeuf, Miguel Angel Muñoz
The following precipitating factors were taken into consideration if they appeared concomitantly with decompensation:Dietary transgression: if the patient reported liquid intake of more than 2.5 l a day and/or added salt to the food.Respiratory infection. Diagnosis was made by clinical exploration and confirmed in the medical records.Non-compliance with pharmacological treatment (self-reported).AF with a frequency > 110 beats per minute (bpm) requiring treatment or emergency referral.Other infections: signs and symptoms of infections other than respiratory ones.Cardiac ischemia: clinical and electrocardiographic signs of ischaemia that required changes in treatment or emergency referral.Intake of drugs associated with heart failure decompensation: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, effervescent tablets, corticosteroids, tricyclic antidepressants.Other precipitants: anaemia, worsening of renal function, hypertensive crisis, changes in diuretic treatment.
Neurological manifestations of COVID-19: a systematic review and detailed comprehension
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2023
Zeina Hassan Ousseiran, Youssef Fares, Wafaa Takash Chamoun
COVID-19 transmission can occur by either direct mode from covid-19 positive human to human transmission through respiratory droplets or indirect mode from contaminated surfaces and objects and airborne contagions to humans [5]. Disease presentation ranges from asymptomatic (in rare cases) to severe pneumonia and death [6]. The symptoms of this pandemic disease range from mild to moderate in most cases, and sometimes severe with high death risk especially in elderly people and those suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and others. The most common symptoms identified include lower respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, dry cough, fever, shortness of breath and myalgia; other symptoms may occur but less frequently reported including confusion, sore throat, hemoptysis, runny nose, chills, chest pain, rhinorrhea, and diarrhea with nausea and vomiting [4].
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio: an accurate method for diagnosing infection in cirrhosis
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2021
Rui De Sousa Magalhães, Joana Magalhães, Bernardo Sousa-Pinto, Tiago Cúrdia Gonçalves, Bruno Rosa, José Cotter
We compared the NLR among patients with and without infection. In fact, our main outcome consisted in the occurrence of any infection confirmed clinically and by means of the necessary auxiliary complementary exams. In particular, SBP was diagnosed when the polymorphonuclear count on ascitic fluid was over 250 cells/mm.3 Urinary tract infection was assumed when urinary white blood cell count >10 cells per high-power field (pyouria) plus 103 colony-forming bacterial units or when urine culture revealed over 106 colony-forming bacterial units. Respiratory tract infection was diagnosed according to the clinic and radiographic analysis. Bacteremia was diagnosed when a blood culture was positive with no evidence of the source of infection. Culture blood samples were taken when needed [3,20,21]. We performed sub-analyses assessing separately hospital-acquired and community infections. Hospital-acquired infections were defined as those diagnosed 48 h or more after hospital admission [20].
Related Knowledge Centers
- Cricoid Cartilage
- Glottis
- Paranasal Sinuses
- Pneumonia
- Respiratory Tract
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
- Common Cold
- Infection
- Lower Respiratory Tract Infection
- Nose