Pneumonia: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Impact on Family - Nursing Essay

RUNNING HEAD: NURSING 0
NURSING
ESSAY WRITING
8/7/2019

NURSING 1
Pneumonia
Introduction
The paper reviews the pneumonia on a child and the family and how they face the
issues during recovering. It includes the proper contribution of each family member at the
time when Ju, the mother had a pre mature delivery and Mei, the daughter of eighteen months
only diagnosed with pneumonia. This paper further adds the causes, diagnosis and treatment
of the disease. The study shows the impact on the family when their little daughter was in the
intensive care and how they dealt with it. Further, it discusses about the partnership of care
between the patient, her family and nurse holistic framework and also the nursing activities
for the paediatric patient.
Brief overview
Pneumonia is a pulmonary disease characterized by airspace inflammation in the
lungs (Corrales, Vicente , Karina , & Lisa, 2015). The main factor is to evaluate the
seriousness of the disease and how it impacts the patient. Viral infections, bacterial infections
or fungi can cause pneumonia; less often due to other causes. Streptococcus pneumonia is the
most prevalent form of bacteria that causes pneumonia (Takizawa, Elizabeth , James , &
Renée , 2016).
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and indicators of pneumonia are: - illness, cough, fatigue, chills and
shortness of breath. Pneumonia can be of two types: community acquired pneumonia (CAP)
and hospital acquired (HAP) (Tang, Poole, & Wood‐Baker, 2017). The pneumonia
obtained in the community is achieved outside the health care environment and pneumonia
obtained in the hospital is typically more serious. CURB-65 is a common tool for

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identification of patients who are sick and requires immediate treatment. It assigns a point for
an anomaly in each of the four primary areas-mental state, levels of blood urea, respiratory
frequency, blood pressure and age rating (Torres, Francesco , Nathalie , & Murat ,
2015). Although efficient, in present practise, the CURB -65 rating is the only form of
assessment instrument. To have more effective impact, MEWS i.e. Modified Early Warning
Score can be used as early assessment tool. Antibiotics control bacterial or fungal infection to
treat pneumonia (Leone, Lila , Belaïd , & Olivier , 2018). The original antibiotic selection
relies on the presumed organism that causes the infection as well a local antibiotic resistance
patterns. The chances of fatal pneumonia are up to 30 per cent of serious cases that goes in
treatment for intensive care setting (Tilahun, Oluwole , & David , 2017).
Measles: Secondary cause of Pneumonia
Measles is the higher infectious disease which is caused by the rubella virus, this virus
enters into the body of the individual which are never exposed by the. The symptoms by
which the measles can be identified are watering of eyes, sneezing and dry cough
(Hiromichi, Kazuyoshi , & Hironori , 2018). However there is no any specific cure is
available for the measles its prevention is the only best cure. It is the secondary cause factor
of pneumonia. Measles pneumonia is detected in three phases, which are mild, modified and
atypical, which varies according to different age groups (Fernandez, Luis , Pedro , &
Ainhoa , 2016).
Complication
There are some complications of pneumonia i.e. sepsis, pleural effusion and
empyema. The most common viral causes are influenza and respiratory. It can also be cured
through antiviral medications. Over age of 65 or below 2, risk factors for pneumonia include,
with certain chronic conditions (including a weak immune system, underlying pulmonary

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disease, cigarette smoking, alcoholism and neurological problems) or with injuries that
interfere with swallowing or coughing (Barnes, Lettis, Compton, Papi, & Jones, 2018).
Also, vaccinations against several prevalent species known to cause pneumonia are
accessible.
Diagnosis
Typically, pneumonia is diagnosed by combining physical indications with X-ray in
the chest. Sputum samples may help with the particular diagnosis, but some patients may
have difficulty producing them- particularly those with consolidation and dehydration
(Palmer & Gerald , 2018). Using instruments like CURB-65 and MEWS, professionals
should be able to correctly define seriousness of pneumonia, initiate early and suitable
therapy, and involve other healthcare team members. The ordering and clarification of the
appropriate examinations and inquiries may lead to further assessment. Oxygen treatment is
an important element of cure for all patients with pneumonia. The treatment includes
vaccination to check against bacterial and viral in children’s and adults, medications,
smoking cessation and reducing indoor air pollution (Yunt, Jonathan , Stephen , &
Evans, 2017). The treatment further includes hand hygiene, coughing on sleeves and
wearing of surgical masks (Hayden, Brian, Robyn , & Robert , 2015). Not only does
critical disease overthrow the patient’s life, it also impacts the family’s lives and close
friends. When anyone enters the intensive care their families, partners and friends ought to
suffer as they do not know precisely whether that person will survive or not.
Examples
The admission of Mei to intensive care took a toll on her parents physically and
emotionally. The family was facing a tough time due to her mother’s pre mature pregnancy
and her symptoms of pneumonia. The family spend hours by the bedside to be there for her
whenever she needs, to not let her feel alone anytime and feel loved. The family was