SARS is not a single disease, but a group of viral infectious diseases of the respiratory tract. The pathology got this name due to the fact that the main pathogens are viruses that are completely uncharacteristic of respiratory diseases.
Features of the disease
This type of pneumonia is an infectious and inflammatory disease that can be transmitted by airborne droplets or household. Outside the host, SARS viruses remain viable for six hours.
Types of dangerous disease pathogens:
- Viruses that cause respiratory diseases, influenza, coronaviruses.
- Chlamydia and mycoplasma, which are inherently intracellular parasites.
- Salmonella, Legionella, which are Gram-negative bacteria.
- Bacteria that cause leptospirosis.
Regardless of what causes the disease, these bacteria are highly resistant to common antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporin).
Symptoms of the disease
The first symptoms of SARS most often appear within 3-4 days after exposure to the pathogen. From a scientific point of view, the latent period lasts up to 10 days. The first signs of the disease may differ, much depends on the main pathogen.
It is also important to consider that SARS is more easily tolerated in children than in adults.
It is customary to distinguish the following manifestations of the main clinical picture of the pathology:
- Fever (increased body temperature).
- Increased weakness and headaches.
- The state of chills, at night, increased sweating is characteristic.
- Severe cough, shortness of breath, trouble breathing.
- Pain in the chest area.
How the disease develops depends largely on the he alth of the patient and the form of the lung infection. In rare cases, symptoms of SARS may be accompanied by bouts of vomiting and nausea.
Symptoms of SARS are characterized by a characteristic feature: a few days after the first manifestations, they disappear, but then return with renewed vigor, which greatly worsens the patient's he alth.
It is impossible to establish an accurate diagnosis without specialized medical examinations.
Diagnosis of SARS
It is impossible to make a definitive diagnosis of SARS based on symptoms alone. To identify bacteria and microorganisms that are the causative agents of a difficult pathology, the following methods are used:
- Microbiological study.
- Bacteriological research.
- Immunological.
- X-ray.
Depending on the main pathogenic bacterium, the doctor may additionally prescribe a sputum or blood test, which will provide a more complete picture of the disease.
If the symptoms of SARS are misinterpreted, treatment is likely to be ineffective. But even when diagnosing a dangerous inflammatory process in the lungs, it is important to accurately determine its source, otherwise it will not be possible to choose the right course of antibiotics.
With untimely or incorrect treatment, SARS can lead to the development of unwanted and serious complications.
Illness in childhood
Despite the fact that a child tolerates the disease more easily, it is sometimes much more difficult to diagnose it correctly than in an adult.
It is customary to highlight the main symptoms of SARS in children, which should alert in the first place:
- The appearance of a rash on the child's body.
- Heavy sweating.
- Luminous state and lack of appetite.
- Bouts of nausea and vomiting.
- Noticeable enlargement of the liver and spleen in size.
Often, all the characteristic symptoms are very similar to complications after the flu or other viral diseases. In most cases, the disease in childhood is provoked by a decrease in the level of protection of the immune system, but in rare cases this may indicateother pathologies:
- Disease of the blood and blood vessels.
- Illnesses are easy.
- Pathologies of the kidneys.
Timely and correct diagnosis will facilitate the treatment of SARS in children.
Disease in old age
Signs of the disease at any age are similar to one degree or another. In older people, pneumonia is much more difficult to tolerate, and more severe forms of the disease are more common.
Symptoms of SARS in adults have their own characteristic manifestations:
- Acute course of the disease, which is accompanied by severe nasal congestion, as well as inflammation of the throat, similar to a sore throat.
- The temperature in SARS in adults jumps to 40 degrees, accompanied by a severe cough and sore throat.
- In medical practice, there are cases when the disease is accompanied by shortness of breath and damage to the nervous system.
Self-treatment when characteristic signs appear is unacceptable. The presence of kidney disease, malignant tumors, central nervous system diseases and smoking in the elderly increase the risk of developing SARS.
Timely diagnosis is important at any age. This respiratory disease is dangerous and requires constant medical monitoring.
Mycoplasma pneumonia
This type of disease is most common in childhood, while as adults the risk of getting sick from this intracellular parasite decreases. Pneumonia is rarely accompaniedtemperatures above 38 degrees. A distinctive feature is the presence of a dry cough that does not go away within two weeks.
Mycoplasma pneumonia can occur in children's groups and spread rapidly among participants. However, statistics show that the disease is rarely severe and does not cause complications with timely treatment.
In rare cases, pathologies go into a severe stage and are accompanied by severe fever, symptoms of intoxication. Lymph nodes become inflamed and enlarged, a rash appears, and the work of the cardiovascular system is disrupted. However, there is no reason to panic, as with a vigilant attitude to he alth, such a development of events can easily be avoided.
Chlamydial pneumonia
Bacteria such as chlamydia can live in the human body for a long time without showing themselves. However, in some cases, they provoke the development of inflammatory lung disease.
This form of pneumonia is also typical for children, most often occurs in a mild form. The main symptoms are considered to be:
- Feeling of aching joints.
- Dry cough.
- Increased body temperature.
Often such factors are mistaken for a common respiratory disease, but a more detailed examination establishes the true cause. Therefore, it is worth mentioning once again that it is contraindicated to let the symptoms take their course, this can lead to the development of complications.
Legionella pneumonia
The main causative agent of this type of pneumonia is often found in ventilation systems, so hardly anyone can consider themselves completely immune from the disease. Human immunity will play a big role in this.
Infection occurs by airborne droplets and most often affects older people than children. The course of this disease is quite severe:
- There is shortness of breath.
- Chest pain.
- Violent cough with expectoration of blood.
- Irregularities in the work of the heart.
- Very high temperature.
The main season for the development of this type of pneumonia is summer, and an additional factor that serves as a catalyst is kidney failure.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
The most dangerous type of pneumonia, moreover, it is little studied. It occurs most often in adulthood, it rarely affects children.
This type of infection affects the lower parts of the respiratory organs. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, but studies have also shown the presence of the pathogen (coronavirus) in urine and feces, which does not exclude transmission by the fecal-oral route.
The disease has no specific symptoms and is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Significant increase in temperature.
- Fever.
- Excessive sweating.
- Severe headache.
- Vomiting and nausea.
- Gradually added dry cough and shortness of breath.
Most oftenthe main manifestations can be reduced within a week, the person begins to gradually recover. The exceptions are cases of a sharp deterioration in he alth and the need to connect the patient to artificial lung ventilation. Such a development of events can lead to death due to heart or respiratory failure and other serious complications.
SARS treatment
Modern medicine has a wide range of antibacterial drugs that can alleviate the patient's condition. However, there is no special remedy for SARS, which obliges to prescribe a complex of drugs.
Doctors resort to the use of the entire arsenal of drugs for the treatment of pneumonia of unknown etiology. First of all, antiviral drugs and broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed. This effectively eliminates the risk of developing a secondary infection. Depending on the severity of the disease, antibiotics can be taken in tablet form or by intravenous or intramuscular injection.
In addition, hormonal agents and antimicrobials may be prescribed to the patient, the use of which is determined by the attending physician.
Treatment is aimed not only at the destruction of the virus that causes the disease, but also at reducing the intensity of the main symptoms, which makes it possible to alleviate the general condition of the patient during the period of therapy.
Treatment in general, it includes:
- Antibiotics.
- Antivirals.
- Antimicrobials.
- Hormones.
- Vitamin Support Complex.
- Immunostimulating agents.
In some cases, human immunity copes with pathogenic organisms with the help of only general strengthening therapy. In such cases, the doctor does not prescribe a course of antibacterial drugs, so as not to increase the adverse effects on the body.
Vaccination
In modern medicine there is a vaccine against pneumonia of a classic nature, which has nothing to do with the etymology of SARS.
As already mentioned, there is no single cure for atypical pneumonia, so when symptoms appear, you should not look for a magic pill, you should urgently consult a doctor for a diagnosis and formation of a course of treatment.
Reasons for hospitalization
When SARS is diagnosed, doctors recommend inpatient treatment so that medical staff can monitor the patient's condition and respond in time to possible changes.
However, there are cases when hospitalization is necessary:
- If the patient's age is too young or considered old.
- Signs of confusion detected.
- Severe shortness of breath and discoloration of the skin (blue).
- Unstable blood pressure (sudden rise or fall).
- Signs of developing heart or lung failure.
- If pneumonia develops against the background of another lung diseasesystem.
Treatment at home is certainly allowed. Provided that the form of the disease can be attributed to mild, and the patient controls the course of the disease in a timely manner with the attending physician.
It is important that the complications that appear on the background of SARS can be fatal. The prognosis for the patient depends on the timeliness of the diagnosis, on the type of pathogen and the individual characteristics of the patient's he alth.
Disease prevention
Understanding what atypical pneumonia can threaten, you need to know what measures are taken to avoid it.
Basic prevention measures:
- Experts strongly recommend avoiding large crowds, especially during periods of seasonal weakening of the immune system, as well as during SARS outbreaks.
- During an outbreak, take courses of antiviral drugs that will effectively protect against influenza (pneumonia often develops as a result).
- Regularly increase the protection of the immune system with the help of special vitamin complexes.
- Keep personal hygiene, especially in public places (hand washing is mandatory).
All of the above measures will not give a 100% guarantee, but will significantly reduce the risk of SARS.
