Pneumonia

What it is

An infection in the lungs. In small children it is one of the most common causes of serious illness, and it is treatable when it is caught early.

When to seek urgent care

Breathing is fast or laboured, the chest pulls in with each breath, the lips or tongue look blue or grey, the person cannot drink or feed, or a child is unusually sleepy.

How it shows

Cough with fever, and breathing that is faster or harder than usual. In a child, watch the chest: if the skin between or below the ribs pulls in with each breath, the breathing is working too hard.

What to do

Anyone with a cough and fast or difficult breathing should be examined the same day. This is not a wait-and-see illness in a child.

More than an ordinary cough

Pneumonia is inflammation deep in the lungs, usually from bacteria or viruses. Cough, fever, chest pain and breathlessness are common. A baby may feed poorly, breathe fast or grunt; an older person may become confused.

A clinician checks breathing, listens to the chest and may measure oxygen, arrange a chest X-ray or request tests. Mucus colour alone cannot tell which germ is responsible or whether antibiotics are needed.

Recovery and prevention

Take prescribed medicines as directed, rest, drink regularly and avoid smoke. Recovery can take time, but worsening breathlessness or returning fever needs reassessment. If treatment has started and there is no improvement after 2 to 3 days, contact the treating clinician sooner if deteriorating.

Handwashing, covering coughs, good ventilation and avoiding tobacco smoke help protect others. Ask about routine childhood vaccination and additional vaccines appropriate to age, pregnancy or long-term illness. Babies, older people and people with heart or lung disease need particular care.

Sources

1. Pneumonia · Public sector health information · OGL v3.0

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.