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Pneumonia
Alternate Names : Bronchopneumonia, Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Pneumonitis
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Pneumonia Treatment
If the cause is bacterial, the goal of treatment is to cure the infection with antibiotics. However, if the pneumonia is caused by a virus, antibiotics will NOT be effective. In some cases it is difficult to distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia, so antibiotics may be prescribed.
Many people can be treated at home with antibiotics by mouth. If you have an underlying chronic disease, severe symptoms, or low oxygen levels, you will likely require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics and oxygen therapy. Infants and the elderly are also more commonly admitted for treatment of pneumonia.
Steps that you can take at home include:
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Drink plenty of fluids to help loosen secretions and bring up phlegm.
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Get lots of rest. For example, have someone else cook and do light work around the house.
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Control your fever with aspirin or acetaminophen. Aspirin must NOT be given to children.
When in the hospital, respiratory treatments to remove secretions may be necessary. Occasionally, steroid medications may be used to reduce wheezing if there is an underlying lung disease.
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Jump to another section
• Definition
• Pneumonia Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
• Pneumonia Symptoms & Signs
• Pneumonia Prevention
• Pneumonia Diagnosis & Tests
• Pneumonia Treatment
• Pneumonia Prognosis
• Pneumonia Complications
• Calling Your Health Care Provider
• Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• Aspiration Pneumonia
• Atypical Pneumonia
• CMV - Pneumonia
• Empyema
• Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
• Legionnaire's Disease
• Mycoplasma Pneumonia
• Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia
• Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Host
• The Flu
• Viral Pneumonia
Tests & Exams
• CBC
• Chest X-Ray
• Pleural Fluid Culture
• Pulmonary Ventilation/Perfusion Scan
• Routine Sputum Culture
• Thoracic CT
Other Topics
• Appetite - Decreased
• Breathing Difficulty
• Chest Pain
• Cough
• Coughing Up Blood
• Fever
• Headache
• Hib - Vaccine
• Influenza Immunization (Vaccine)
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine
Review Date : 11/10/2003
Reviewed By : Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Boston, Ma., and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc. and Steven Angelo, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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