In modern medical practice, fungal pneumonia (not everyone knows what it is) is much more common than a few decades ago. This disease is characterized by an inflammatory process in the lungs caused by an infection. Since the fungal flora is very diverse, both pathogenic strains and pathogens of the opportunistic group can be provocateurs of the disease.
The main condition for the development of inflammation is the weakening of the body's defense mechanisms. Therefore, fungal pneumonia should be considered as a separate group of diseases, which in medical terminology is called pneumomycosis.
Etiology
Today, the problem associated with an increase in the incidence of pneumomycosis is quite acute. This negative trend is confirmed by WHO data.
The unfavorable situation causes concern among doctors. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that the symptoms of fungal pneumonia are rarely pronounced, and in most cases the clinic resembles other pathologies of the respiratory tract.
At the same time, the disease is considered the most dangerous variant of pneumonia. When forThe pathogen in the body has all the favorable conditions, it begins to multiply rapidly, causing irreparable damage to human he alth. Since fungi are highly virulent, that is, the ability to quickly spread throughout the body, the disease is extremely difficult to treat.
The pathogen is able to penetrate into the cell, easily overcoming the intercellular membrane. Interestingly, the reason for the outbreak of pneumomycosis is often non-compliance with elementary sanitary standards. Particularly dangerous in terms of the epidemic situation are transitional seasons, when there is an increase in colds in children and adults. After all, a weak immune system is not able to withstand a massive attack of parasitic organisms.
Fungal pneumonia can be primary, that is, be a separate disease. But very often, pneumomycosis manifests itself against the background of other pathologies: lung abscess, bronchitis with obstruction, and other diseases.
Causes of pneumomycosis
As mentioned above, the combination of many factors creates a favorable environment for the active development of pathogenic and opportunistic microflora, because they reduce the body's immune capabilities.
Such contributing factors include:
- frequent colds;
- presence of chronic pathologies;
- intestinal infections;
- uncontrolled use of antibiotics.
Special attention should be paid to the last point, since very often the cause of fungal pneumonia becomesantibiotic abuse. It is known that many drugs of this series kill not only pathogenic microorganisms, but also bacteria beneficial to humans.
As a rule, after such a "therapy" the natural balance of the environment of the digestive organs is disturbed, which leads to intestinal dysbacteriosis. But the harmful effects of antibiotics do not stop there, because the situation is developing along an increasing curve.
Parasites, feeling that nothing threatens them, begin to multiply actively, forming colonies throughout the body. This is how they get into the lung tissue.
Risk groups
Given the accompanying factors, there are several groups of people who are particularly susceptible to fungal pneumonia.
The high-risk group consists of patients who:
- malignant pathologies (leukemia, lymphoproliferative tumors) requiring long-term radiation therapy or chemotherapy;
- diabetes mellitus;
- AIDS;
- TB infection;
- some types of anemia;
- dysbacteriosis provoked by irrational use of antibiotics;
- bronchial asthma;
- chronic tonsillitis.
Pneumomycosis threatens those patients who underwent transplantation of any organ, because such operations entail a conflict between the donor microflora and the environment of the recipient.
You should also be afraid of the disease:
- women in menopause, if they have inflammatory processesurogenital area;
- pregnant;
- younger children;
- for the elderly;
- to patients with progressive caries;
- patients connected to a ventilator (artificial lung ventilation).
In addition, you need to know that pneumomycosis is very often combined with fungal infections of the skin, nail plates, mucous membranes.
Types of fungal pneumonia
Fungal flora is extremely diverse and resilient. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to diagnose and treat such infectious diseases.
Mold and yeast fungi, pneumocysts and other common representatives of this group can cause pathology. Therefore, depending on the pathogen, the following forms of pneumomycosis are distinguished:
- Actinomycosis.
- Aspergillosis.
- Candidamicosis.
- Blastomycosis.
- Histoplasmosis.
- Streptomycosis.
- Coccidioidomycosis.
- Pneumocytosis.
- Mucomycosis.
The name of each form indicates a specific pathogen. But even in this small group of representatives of parasitic organisms there are leaders.
As clinical practice shows, most often the culprit of fungal pneumonia is Candida albicans, less often the causative agent of streptomycosis.
Some of the microorganisms listed under normal conditions quietly exist in the human body, but when triggered by a provoking factor, they become the cause of the disease. Sopeople with AIDS cannot be cured and often die.
Transmission routes
Because fungal pneumonia is an infection, it can quickly spread from sick to he althy people. The main route of transmission of the disease is airborne, that is, when the pathogen enters the environment when coughing.
The likelihood of spreading the fungus through contact with an infected patient is high. But the internal factor is most involved, when pathogenic bacteria are activated in an organism weakened by a disease.
Especially to be wary of nosocomial infections, which most often occur due to inadequate implementation of sanitary and hygienic requirements by staff.
Methods for diagnosing pneumomycosis
I must say right away that diagnostics includes a whole range of activities, the implementation of which helps to make a correct diagnosis. They are as follows:
- When fungal pneumonia is suspected, the first priority is a painstaking history taking. For example, if, as a result of a detailed questioning, it is established that a person has been taking one of the antibiotics for a long time, it will be possible to immediately assume the presence of pneumonia of a fungal nature of origin.
- At the initial stage of diagnosis, a complete laboratory study is carried out, both in adults and in young patients. A detailed blood test allows you to identify a shift in the leukocyte formula, an accelerated reaction of erythrocytes (ESR), a change in other important indicators. ATin addition to this, serological tests and even molecular genetic studies are carried out.
- X-ray examination gives a visual representation of what is happening in the lungs. So, according to the changed pattern, it is possible to identify foci of infiltration, the formation of abscesses, to notice cavities filled with exudate.
- Traditional examination of the patient with listening to the lungs also gives its results: pain is noted on the affected side, auscultation data changes.
The most difficult thing in diagnosing the symptoms of fungal pneumonia is the identification of the pathogen.
Symptoms of pneumomycosis
The clinical picture of fungal pneumonia depends on the pathogen that caused the infection. True, this does not affect the choice of treatment, since therapy for pneumomycosis is the same for all known options.
Features of the course in children
The most severe disease occurs in young children. Often the process is fast paced. At the same time, against the background of the main symptoms of fungal pneumonia, respiratory failure develops, blue skin, shortness of breath is observed.
In especially critical situations, the child loses consciousness, and then only the competent actions of doctors can save the life of a small patient. Such an acute clinic complicates the therapy.
How the disease progresses in adults
Different forms of fungal pneumonia at the initial stage in adult patients have a similarsymptoms. Often, at the beginning of the inflammatory process, the clinical picture of pneumomycosis resembles atypical pneumonia. Therefore, in most cases, the picture is fuzzy, the symptoms of fungal pneumonia in adults are blurred:
- episodic fever noted;
- appears dry cough;
- patient complains of weakness;
- muscle pain may occur;
- when listening, dry rales are clearly visible, characteristic of any pneumonia.
Depending on the severity of the disease, after a few days the cough becomes more intense with copious sputum. Often it contains purulent contents, which indicates that an abscess has formed in the lungs.
Cough is paroxysmal. Therefore, often with severe attacks, the infiltrate resolves, and along with its contents, the waste products of pathogenic fungi are thrown out. Fungal pneumonia often leads to complications such as pleurisy.
Therefore, it is very important to carry out adequate therapy at the very initial stages of the inflammatory process to prevent the development of an abscess in the lungs.
Candidiasis symptoms
Pneumonia caused by the fungus Candida often develops in cancer patients. For example, fungal pneumonia is common in children undergoing chemotherapy. Since the immunity of such patients is greatly weakened, the inflammatory process can occur against the background of severe intoxication without an increase in temperature.
In somecases, on the contrary, the disease develops rapidly. There is shortness of breath, pain in the chest area, a rise in temperature to critical values. With secondary pulmonary candidiasis (pneumonia), in the vast majority of cases, such patients have destructive changes in the lung tissue with the development of cysts and atelectasis (collapse of the lungs, leading to impaired ventilation).
Among the frequent complications of this form of pneumomycosis is the development of sepsis.
Aspergillosis of the lungs
This is one of the most severe forms of fungal pneumonia. It is characterized by the formation of an abscess involving the pleura and lymph nodes in the inflammatory process.
A clinic of this form is characterized by a fulminant course with powerful coughing fits, copious sputum with pus, turning into shortness of breath. The general condition of patients is severe, often accompanied by cachexia.
Treatment
Effective therapy for all types of disease is possible only with an accurate diagnosis. It must be remembered that in the presence of fungal pneumonia in adults and children, the symptoms and treatment, as in the case of other ailments, are interconnected.
The complex of medications includes necessarily antifungal agents, vitamins, immunostimulants. Patients with this diagnosis are treated only in a hospital with strict adherence to bed rest.
If there is accumulation of exudate in the pleural cavity, the patient undergoes a puncture and pleural lavage.
If we talk about predictions, then the best resultsgives operational methods for the treatment of fungal pneumonia, which completely exclude the recurrence of the disease and the development of complications. In other situations, the outcome of the disease largely depends on the severity of the background process and adequate therapy.
