Bacterial Pneumonia in Children

Apart from bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites are the other pathogens which may cause pneumonia. This condition refers to the inflammation of the lungs, which occurs as a result of an infection caused by all such pathogens. The condition is known to affect children, young people and healthy individuals too. It becomes more concerning if it affects people who are over 65 or have a compromised immune system. As I have mentioned, this illness occurs to be a repercussion or let's say a complication of some other condition, which is in most cases, the flu. Bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics as the first line of defense. However, with time, experts have discovered new strains of bacteria which somehow seem to have developed a resistance against antibiotics. So this stresses on the importance on the prevention of the infection. More on this condition has been elaborated in the following.

What Causes Bacterial Pneumonia?
The infection could be caused by different strains of bacteria. Now some of these pathogens are known to cause the infection within the community, while some are associated with causing an infection within the hospital. The former kind of infection can be referred to as community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, and the later, hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia. The former type is mostly caused by the streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, legionella pneumophila, and mycoplasma pneumoniae. Apart from these, the bacteria chlamydophila pneumoniae is commonly associated with the infection. And the latter type is usually caused by gram-negative bacteria, staphylococcus aureus, and the streptococcus species. In the group of the gram-negative bacteria, the names include are escherichia coli, klebsiella pneumoniae, enterobacter species, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and acinetobacter species.

Is Bacterial Pneumonia Contagious?
Yes it is. However, the causal bacteria usually cause an upper respiratory infection like a cold or a flu in the other person, instead of causing pneumonia itself. So this means, that the condition is not directly contagious.

Main Symptoms
Symptoms may vary from child to child, depending on the underlying medical condition and also the cause. The symptoms which are common in most cases include:

• Coughing out green or yellow phlegm
• Chills which can cause shakiness in the child
• Perspiration
• Headache
• Muscle ache
• Fatigue
• Pleurisy
• Breathing difficulty
• Fever (greater than 100.5ºF or 38º C)
• Strep throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea

Parents must be aware of the fact that this condition is more severe in infants and newborns. They may not show any signs or symptoms such as the ones mentioned above. All they may have is a fever or a cough, or in some cases, stomach pain, which they may exhibit through constant crying.

Treatment Options
The treatment focuses on eliminating the infection and curb the risk of further complication. The course of the treatment depends upon the severity of the symptoms, the cause and the presence of other medical conditions. Antibiotics would be prescribed for dealing with the infection. Even if the child starts feeling better after a few days of taking the medications, parents must ensure that the entire course of medicine is completed. Otherwise, there are chances that the disease may recur. Also, stopping the medication half-way may give rise to strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

The causal factors and symptoms of bacterial pneumonia in children, are no different than what affects adults. And as I said, preventing the infection is the best approach to deal with it. Parents must ensure that their children get their required shots of pneumonia vaccine. Also, as it is always said, children must be educated about the importance of practicing healthy personal hygiene, and to prevent the infection from spreading to others.