Pneumonia, or inflammation of the lungs, is serious and very dangerous disease. Inflammation of the lung tissue leads to disruption of oxygen metabolism in the tissues of the body, and the disease in neglected form may lead to sepsis and other life-threatening conditions. Because pneumonia is caused pathogenic microorganisms, to combat it, agents are usually used that act directly on the causative agent of the disease. Antibiotics are a very important part of the treatment of pneumonia, and the effectiveness of treatment and the patient’s condition in the future depend on the correct choice of drugs.

The main symptoms of pneumonia are high fever, cough with yellow or brown sputum, shortness of breath, general malaise. The doctor listens to the patient’s lungs and, if an inflammatory process is suspected, sends him for x-rays and relevant tests. Depending on their results and the characteristics of the patient’s body, therapy is prescribed. Antibiotics are prescribed as first aid empirically(the so-called first-line medications), therefore the patient should undergo all tests as quickly as possible, in particular, take a sputum test, which will determine the causative agent of the disease.

In approximately 60% of cases, pneumonia is caused by microorganisms called pneumococci, but in addition, the following agents can trigger the disease:

• streptococci;
• staphylococci;
• hemophilus influenzae;
• chlamydia;
• mycoplasma;
• legionella;
• enterobacteria;
• Klebsiella;
• Escherichia;
• fungi of the genus Candida.

Each of the above types of bacteria has sensitivity to a certain substance, that is, for maximum effectiveness of therapy, it is very important to determine the root cause of the disease. On average, treatment lasts from 7 to 10 days, depending on the age and condition of the person, as well as the characteristics of the course of the disease. Taking antibiotics on your own is strictly not recommended, as they not only will not give the desired effect, but can also cause serious harm to the body.

Basic rules for prescribing antibiotics

As with any other medications, antibiotic therapy must be carried out in accordance with a number of rules.

1. For pneumonia, a combination of several drugs (2-3 items) is usually used.
2. First-line antibiotics, that is, those that were prescribed before the causative agent of the disease was identified, must be taken regularly so that the appropriate dosage of the active substance is maintained in the blood.
3. After necessary research should start taking medications latest generation.
4. For symptoms atypical pneumonia caused by chlamydia, legionella, mycoplasma, etc. the use of antibacterial drugs is necessary.
5. Severe stage of pneumonia, in addition to drug therapy, requires oxygen inhalation and other similar measures.
6. Antibiotics for pneumonia are usually administered to patients intramuscularly or orally (most new generation drugs are available in tablet form), and in complex forms of the disease, to achieve quick effect drugs can be administered intravenously.

For pneumonia, it can be used folk remedies, but refuse funds traditional medicine not worth it. In addition, it is necessary to strictly monitor the patient's condition and monitor for possible allergic reactions.

What antibiotics are used for pneumonia?

Today, simple penicillins and other similar drugs are not used to treat pneumonia, since there are more effective and safe drugs last generation. They have wide range actions, a small number of contraindications, can be used in small doses and have virtually no toxic effect on the liver, kidneys and other organs.

When prescribing antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia, it is very important to pay attention to the compatibility of specific drugs. It is not recommended to take drugs from the same group at the same time, or to combine certain drugs (“Neomycin” with “Monomycin” and “Streptomycin”, etc.).

How to take antibiotics correctly?

As mentioned above, antibiotics are potent medical drugs, therefore, they require compliance with certain conditions of admission.

1. Follow the instructions and recommendations of the doctor. Some antibiotics are more effective if taken with food, while others need to be taken before or after meals.
2. Maintain equal intervals between doses. It is necessary to take medications at the same time of day at regular intervals.
3. Follow the recommended dosage. The dosage when taking antibiotics must be observed very strictly, since exceeding it can lead to serious side effects, and decreasing it can lead to the formation of drug-resistant strains of microorganisms.
4. Do not interrupt the course of treatment. In order for therapy to have the desired effect, a certain concentration is required active substance in the patient's blood. That is why you should take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your doctor. You cannot interrupt the course even after relief occurs.
5. Take the pills only clean water. It is recommended to drink any antibiotics with exclusively clean, still water. Tea, coffee, milk or fermented milk products cannot be used for these purposes.
6. Take probiotics. Since antibiotics destroy not only pathogenic, but also beneficial bacteria. To avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract, when taking similar drugs you need to take probiotics (“ Linux», « Narine", etc.), which restore the natural intestinal microflora.

All of the above rules not only contribute quick recovery, but also minimize side effects from taking antibiotics and their toxic effects on the body.

How to give antibiotic injections?

Intramuscular infusions are considered more effective therapeutic method than oral medication, since in this case the drugs are absorbed into the blood faster and begin to act. Antibiotic injections can be done at home, but it is very important to follow certain norms and standards.

1. Dosage forms sold in powder form must be diluted immediately before injection. For this, sterile water for injection is used, and sometimes lidocaine or novocaine to reduce pain(in the absence allergic reactions for these drugs).
2. Before giving an antibiotic injection, you need to do a skin test. On inside make a small scratch on the surface of the forearm with a sterile needle and apply it to it ready solution drug. Wait 15 minutes and watch the body’s reaction - if redness and itching appear at the site of the scratch, the drug should not be administered. In this case, it should be replaced with another medicine. If this condition is not followed, the patient may experience anaphylactic shock.
3. For each injection, a sterile syringe is used, and when administering the medicine, you must adhere to the rules of antiseptic treatment of the injection site.
4. After the administration of antibiotics, painful infiltrates often remain in the tissues. To avoid this unpleasant phenomenon, you need to insert the needle strictly perpendicularly, and draw an iodine grid at the injection site.

If the doctor has prescribed intravenous infusions of antibiotics to the patient, it is better to invite a person with medical education to carry out the procedure, since it is strictly not recommended to install IVs without the appropriate knowledge.

Other drugs for the treatment of pneumonia

Since therapy for pneumonia must be comprehensive, in addition to antibiotics, it involves taking other drugs, in particular antiviral and mucolytic agents.

Depending on the characteristics of the course and severity of the disease, the therapeutic course may include drugs to relieve fever and against rhinitis, immunomodulators, painkillers to eliminate headaches and muscle pain.

When treating pneumonia, patients should adhere to bed rest, drink plenty of fluids and stick to a diet (light soups, vegetables, fruits, dairy products). In the absence high temperature You can do breathing exercises, chest and back massage - this will facilitate the liquefaction and removal of sputum. To prevent the proliferation of harmful microorganisms, the room where the patient is located should be regularly wet cleaned. Indoor humidity (especially in acute period disease) should be 50-60%. Since pneumonia is often associated with decreased immunity, and antibiotic therapy can also negatively affect immune system patient, treatment must be combined with taking vitamin complexes.

Video - Treatment of pneumonia at home

In what cases is it better to go to hospital?

Most patients diagnosed with pneumonia prefer to be treated on an outpatient basis, that is, at home. This can be done in cases where the patient is less than 60 years old and does not have accompanying pathologies(diabetes mellitus, heart failure, etc.), and the course of the disease is not complicated. If the patient is over 60 years old, he has diseases that can complicate his condition, or there are social indications (this category includes disabled people, single people and those who live in difficult conditions) it is better to agree with the proposal to go to hospital.

At making the right choice antibiotics and strict adherence Following doctor’s recommendations, even complex forms of pneumonia respond well to treatment and are cured without any consequences for the body.

Video - Pneumonia

Pneumonia is considered a complicated disease: with manifestations of fever, intoxication, and severe concomitant pathologies. Accordingly, complex and serious treatment is required, with the use of antimicrobial drugs. Despite this, the question of whether pneumonia can be cured without antibiotics is being raised more and more often, especially among supporters of herbal medicine and homeopathy.

Antibiotics are a relatively new discovery of mankind, which became widespread in the 20th century. Before the invention of antibiotics, people also got sick complex diseases, including pneumonia. Most patients died from a serious illness, but there were also those who were cured without antimicrobial drugs.

Doctors consider inflammatory pathologies of the pulmonary system to be diseases that can cause complications, chronic failures, and combined health disorders. The patient’s lungs and bronchi are the first to suffer, and disruption of their functioning entails a number of serious problems in the patient’s body.

Symptoms and signs of an inflammatory pulmonary process are:

• cough: both dry and productive;
• obstruction syndrome and severe shortness of breath;
• cyanosis skin, cyanosis of the perioral area;
• symptoms of tachycardia;
• feverish conditions and signs of intoxication;
• chest pain.

Dangerous symptoms of pulmonary inflammation are:

• severe shortness of breath, accompanied by rapid breathing;
• cyanosis of the skin;
• high body temperature for several hours, difficult to correct;
• rapid pulse more than 90 beats per minute;
• a sharp decrease in blood pressure.

If symptoms indicate a dangerous and complicated course of pneumonia, the patient should be immediately hospitalized to provide qualified medical care.

Treatment of pneumonia in inpatient conditions provides, first of all, the use antimicrobials second and third generation, as well as combining two types of antibiotics to enhance the therapeutic effect.

Conditions for effective treatment of pneumonia

Quick and uncomplicated relief from the inflammatory pulmonary process is possible in conditions of a quick, timely and correct response. Fortunately, modern doctors consider pneumonia to be a complex but not fatal disease, thanks to the available step-by-step treatment regimen for pneumonia.

1. Antimicrobial therapy consists of treatment with a number of antibiotics. Before prescribing the drug that is most effective for a given type of pathology, doctors study the patient’s tests and medical history, at the same time making sure that the patient is not allergic to certain antibiotics. In the case of an existing allergy to a certain drug series, the doctor replaces it with an approved drug. At severe course For diseases, antimicrobial drugs are prescribed by injection; for milder forms of pathology - in tablet form.
2. Doctors recommend that their patients strictly adhere to bed rest in the first few days of the disease, as the body does not. weakened by pneumococcal agents and oxygen hypoxia tissues, the body requires maximum rest to maintain strength. The patient is allowed to get up no earlier than the fourth day from the onset of the disease.
3. Removal of mucus from the bronchi is considered prerequisite effective treatment pneumonia. For this purpose, doctors prescribe mucolytic agents and bronchodilators, based on general condition sick.
4. Equally important is the treatment of the primary source of the pathology that provoked subsequent pulmonary inflammation.

The patient is given plenty of fluids to drink, thereby weakening the harmful effects of toxins secreted by pneumococci. To normalize the functioning of the immune system, the patient is given immunomodulators and vitamin preparations.

Treatment of pneumonia without antibiotics

Despite the centuries-old experience of healing from pneumonia without the use of antibiotics, experts categorically warn their patients against such a rash step. When asked whether pneumonia can be cured without taking antibiotics, doctors answer unequivocally in the negative.

There are many factors confirming that doctors are right.

1. First of all, treatment for pneumonia without antibiotics, carried out a hundred years ago, often ended fatal. In terms of the number of patients who died, pneumonia occupied one of the first places, second only to infectious outbreaks of epidemics. Rare cases the cures did not leave recipes for the main treatment, but only recipes for accompanying therapy.
2. Pneumococcal agents and bacilli that provoke pneumonia are constantly mutating, so even conventional antimicrobial drugs may become ineffective for treating pneumonia. IN lately Doctors prefer to prescribe to their patients not one antimicrobial drug, but two, complementary and enhancing each other’s effects.
3. Human immunity has undergone changes for the worse in recent decades due to the environmental situation, problems with nutrition and hobbies. bad habits. Any infection, even not too dangerous, can become a source of threat to humans, and pneumococci are a terminal source.

All these factors indicate that treating pneumonia without the use of antibiotics is a risky and unjustified step that can cause irreparable harm to the patient’s body.

Duration of antibiotic therapy

Another unjustifiably risky step is to independently reduce the duration of antimicrobial therapy. Doctors say that antibiotics for pneumonia should be taken for at least seven days, and in severe cases - up to two weeks. Having felt the first signs of improvement, the patient may consider that he no longer needs antibiotic therapy and will independently cancel the treatment.

In such cases, the patient is threatened with:

• acute relapse pathological condition pulmonary system;
• inflammatory damage to nearby healthy lung tissue;
• development pathological complications affecting the cardiac system, bronchopulmonary tract;
• formation and progression of a lung abscess with subsequent breakthrough of purulent contents into the lung tissue;
• sepsis;
• severe inflammatory disease that becomes chronic.

This is why doctors insist on continuous use antimicrobial drug for several days, while the treatment regimen is adjusted by the doctor depending on the patient’s condition and the speed of the recovery process.

General rules for choosing a drug

Antimicrobial drugs are classified depending on the degree and intensity of exposure. For pronounced pathologies occurring against a background of severe symptoms, strong antibiotics are used.

1. Uncomplicated pneumonia in young people and middle-aged patients can be treated with drugs penicillin series or macrolides. Inflammation of the lungs in this category of patients, occurring in mild degree, is often treated at home, since there is no need for urgent hospitalization of the patient.
2. In patients age category over 50 years old with a “bouquet” of concomitant pathologies in the form diabetes mellitus, psychopathologies, hepatic or renal failure, treatment of pneumonia is carried out with third generation cephalosporins. Because of possible severity course of the pathology, in these patients it is possible that several causative agents of the pathological pulmonary condition may progress simultaneously.
3. Lobar pneumonia is usually treated in a hospital setting, which is why antibiotics of a number of fluoroquinolones are used.

In hospital settings for timely admission medicines and injections are monitored by doctors, and treatment of pneumonia at home requires self-control from the patient and control from loved ones.

Home therapy conditions

The main conditions that contribute to the effective recovery of a patient with pneumonia at home include several important aspects.

1. Restorative and maintenance diet. Taking antibiotics can weaken the patient’s immune system and cause malfunctions gastrointestinal tract. The patient’s diet should include fermented milk products with lactobacilli, liquid cereals, broths and soups.
2. The patient should be given as much liquid to drink as possible. Experts recommend when treating any viral infection and bacterial pathology, give the patient a drink every quarter of an hour, giving him a quarter glass of warm raspberry broth, cranberry juice or just milk and honey.
3. The antimicrobial course of treatment must be followed by the patient to the end; independent adjustment of the dosage and timing of taking the drug downward is strictly not recommended.
4. In the room where the patient is located, the air must be clean and ventilated: for this, the method of through ventilation is used at least three times a day, after first removing the patient from the room for a few minutes.

Doctors categorically do not recommend stopping taking antibiotics on your own when treating pneumonia, since visible relief of symptoms occurs when bacterial agents stop multiplying. As soon as antimicrobial agents stop entering the body, pneumococci recur and begin to actively multiply, provoking a new round of inflammatory disease.

It is almost impossible to cure pneumonia without antibiotics, and it is also quite risky. Such treatment will not only not give the desired timely effect, but can transform the pathology into a chronic course.

Not really

You are a fairly active person who cares and thinks about your respiratory system and health in general, continue to play sports, lead healthy image life, and your body will delight you throughout your life, and no bronchitis will bother you. But do not forget to undergo examinations on time, maintain your immunity, this is very important, do not overcool, avoid severe physical and strong emotional overload.

Question:"Hello! I've been sick for 4 days. On the 1st day - temperature 37 °C, on the 2nd day - 37.5-38 °C, on the 3rd day 37.5 °C, on the 4th day 37.3-37.5 °C . X-ray of the lungs showed bronchopneumonia right lung viral origin. The doctor said that according to the blood test, there seemed to be nothing wrong, ESR was 10 mm, leukocytes were 4.4, the body was fighting. Treatment is mainly antiviral: Imusstat and inhalation with a nebulizer, ACC 3 times a day and Dekasan 3 times a day. Will this help me recover from bronchopneumonia without antibiotics? Thanks in advance!”, asks Larisa.

The doctor answers highest category, pulmonologist – Sosnovsky Alexander Nikolaevich:

Not a single known global standard of care for patients with proven pneumonia can be done without prescribing antibiotics. Therefore, in the presence of infiltration of the lung tissue, identified during an X-ray examination, taking antibiotics is vital. None X-ray examination cannot say for sure whether the changes detected in the images are of viral or bacterial origin. The blood test takes into account not only the data of leukocytes and ESR when assessing inflammatory process, but also other acute-phase indicators - band shift, reactive protein, etc. Therefore, it is impossible to judge the severity of the disease only by tests.

Since the temperature reaction has remained at low-grade levels for more than 3 days, the body cannot cope with the problem on its own. The effectiveness of umifenovir (Imusstat) in the presence of pneumonia has not been confirmed from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine, and the antimicrobial activity of Decasan is insufficient when administered through a nebulizer. Therefore it is necessary to as soon as possible decide on taking antibiotics. If the damage to the lung tissue is caused by bacteria, then during your treatment the condition will worsen, which will increase the volume of pneumonic infiltration. This condition is life-threatening! To clarify the characteristics of lung damage, it is best to perform computed tomography. This study will eliminate questions regarding pneumonia, since any infiltration will be clearly visible.

If it is not possible to perform a computed tomography scan, then you should absolutely not risk your life in the presence of pneumonic changes on the radiograph. Contact your doctor today and ask for broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Diseases respiratory system have high danger for a person. One of these common pathologies is pneumonia, which causes inflammation of the lung tissue and irreversible changes in it. To avoid oxygen starvation tissues, the disease must be treated on time.

How to treat pneumonia at home in adults

Pneumonia is more often viral nature, but even in other cases they join it bacterial infections, so adults in mandatory carry out antibiotic therapy, prescribing 1-2 drugs at a time. Treatment standards take into account several factors:

• type of pneumonia;
• volume of damage to lung tissue;
• the patient’s well-being and age;
• concomitant diseases heart, kidneys or lungs.

Antibiotics

Adults are prescribed antibiotics for pneumonia, taking into account their age, and even if one drug is insignificantly effective, it is not changed for 3 days or until the patient’s sputum tests are deciphered. To treat pneumonia, modern popular medications are used called:

1. Ceftriaxone. The form of release is powders white for preparing injections. The course of treatment for pneumonia is determined by the doctor depending on the severity. For an adult, the dose is 1-2 g daily. A solution for injections is prepared from 500 mg of the drug and 2 ml of a 1% lidocaine solution, and 5 ml of sterile water is used for droppers. Price from 25 rubles, available with prescription.
2. Sefpotek. An antibiotic also approved for children over 12 years of age. Effective in treating pneumonia and other infections respiratory tract. Adults need to take 200 mg - 1 tablet, with an interval of 12 hours. The course of treatment must be completed after 2 weeks. Price from 120 rub.
3. Sumamed. In addition to tablets, it is available as powder or lyophilisate. Indicated for infectious and inflammatory diseases, including the respiratory tract. For pneumonia, you need to take 500 mg of the drug per day for a course of treatment of 3 days. Price from 520 rub.

Folk remedies

Traditional treatment pneumonia in adults is effective in combination with medications if therapy is carried out at home. To do this, you can use the following recipes:

1. Raisin decoction. Rinse 0.5 tbsp. dark raisins, pass them through a meat grinder. Pour a glass of boiling water and simmer under the lid for about 10 minutes. You need to treat pneumonia with this decoction by drinking 1.5 tbsp. daily.
2. "Fig" milk. Prepare 3 dried white figs. Heat the milk, pour over the fruits, cook over low heat for about half an hour. To treat pneumonia, drink 2 glasses a day until symptoms relieve.
3. Infusion on nuts. Take 500 ml of dry red wine. Pour 50 g of peeled nuts over it. Simmer the product over low heat for about a quarter of an hour. Use 1 tbsp. before every meal.

Exercise therapy

To begin with, it is recommended to change your position in bed more often and not lie on your side, which hurts. After 3-4 days, when the acute period of the illness is over, you can begin breathing exercises, for which you lie on your back and put your hands on your stomach. You need to exhale after a deep breath, but do it slowly, tensing your abdominal muscles. There should be at least 5 approaches per day, each of which includes 15 repetitions. It is recommended to use exercise therapy to prevent pneumonia.

Features of the treatment of pneumonia

Treatment of pneumonia in an adult depends on many factors, the first of which is the type of disease. Therapy for older people must be carried out in a hospital; in other cases, the decision is made by the doctor. The treatment algorithm consists of several stages. First, pneumonia is diagnosed, then the source of inflammation is eliminated using antibiotics. Next, additional medications are prescribed for the remaining signs of the disease.

Segmental

In adults, this form occurs more often than others and is divided into right-sided and left-sided. A particular type is bilateral, when lesions are present in both lungs. Treatment of pneumonia in an adult is carried out inpatiently with the use of antibiotics, physiotherapy, inhalations and elimination of allergic reactions. With unilateral or bilateral form, it is necessary to ensure the correct position of the patient - semi-sitting to improve lung function.

Viral

Bronchopneumonia

This type of pneumonia is also called focal. It develops against the background of bronchitis, so it is especially dangerous for its consequences - pleuropneumonia, abscess and even gangrene, so treatment methods are chosen only by a doctor. Antibiotics become mandatory in therapy, and they are chosen according to the degree of impact on the intestinal microflora. Ecoantibiotics are often used. In addition, adults are treated with agents that thin, remove phlegm and restore the immune system.

Atypical

The most serious of all is atypical form, because it is caused by atypical pathogens and such pneumonia often occurs in an adult without fever. The disease is also insidious in that it has a latent period when symptoms are practically absent. Antibiotics are often unable to cope with the manifestations of this type of pneumonia, so adults are prescribed immunoglobulins and special procedures to suck out fluid in the lungs. Treatment is supplemented with a complex of vitamins and antipyretics.

Prikornevoy

Another complex form of pneumonia is hilar. It is difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms are similar to tuberculosis and central lung cancer. Treatment medications are prescribed immediately after diagnosis, several medications at a time, so that the condition is alleviated within 2-3 days and the patient can be prescribed warming and exercise therapy.

Treatment of pneumonia in hospital

Indications for hospitalization include deterioration of the patient's condition or the inability to use the necessary medications at home. At timely treatment relief occurs after 2-4 days, but possible complications increase the length of hospital stay to 10 days, and often up to 4 weeks. The patient is given injections or IVs with antibiotics, then administered in the same way saline solution to detoxify the body. In combination with these drugs, adults are prescribed expectorants and antipyretics.

How long does it take to treat pneumonia?

Treatment community-acquired pneumonia in adults it is carried out at home and takes from 7 to 10 days. This adds the period for recovery of the body, which may require from 1 to several months. The same amount of time can be used to combat chronic pneumonia. The duration of treatment depends on the timeliness of therapy. In addition, the effectiveness of the chosen medications is also important. Inpatient therapy has average duration in 9-10 days in severe form. Congestive pneumonia can be cured in 20-25 days.

Video about breathing exercises for pneumonia