you see a patient complaining of coughing and they report a history of pneumonia.definition

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue. It is usually due to infection. Pneumonia tends to be more serious than bronchitis.

Full Answer

Does a cough mean you have pneumonia?

While you can't diagnose pneumonia by cough alone, it may provide some necessary clues. Sometimes a cough can be totally harmless—like when it's caused by a scratchy throat from allergies, or your run-of-the-mill common cold. Other times, well, it can be a symptom of something much more serious, like pneumonia.

When to go to the doctor for a cough and pneumonia?

Whether you’ve had your cough for three days or three weeks, knowing the symptoms of pneumonia and when to go to the doctor can help put your mind at ease. Pneumonia symptoms and their severity vary depending on the type of pneumonia you have. There are several types of pneumonia, but the most common include bacterial and non-bacterial.

How to deal with an unexplained cough in a patient?

The clinician faced with a patient with an unexplained cough needs a systematic, integrated approach to this problem. 2 This will limit unnecessary testing and will lead to the proper diagnosis and treatment. History and physical examination are paramount in the diagnosis of cough.

How is the diagnosis of cough made?

History and physical examination are paramount in the diagnosis of cough. First, seek potential alarm features that could represent serious illness. Second, determine the duration of the cough to narrow the differential diagnosis.

How do you describe pneumonia cough?

A cough that produces green, yellow, or bloody mucus is the most common symptom of pneumonia. Other symptoms include fever, shaking chills, shortness of breath, low energy, and extreme tiredness. Pneumonia can often be diagnosed with a thorough history and physical exam.

What is the clinical definition of pneumonia?

Listen to pronunciation. (noo-MOH-nyuh) A severe inflammation of the lungs in which the alveoli (tiny air sacs) are filled with fluid. This may cause a decrease in the amount of oxygen that blood can absorb from air breathed into the lung.

What are common assessment findings for a patient with pneumonia?

Assessment findings include:Inspectionincreased respiratory rate increased pulse rate guarding and lag on expansion on affected side children with pneumonia may have nasal flaring and/or intercostal and sternal retractionsPalpationchest expansion decreased on involved side tactile fremitus is increased2 more rows

What is the chief of complaint for pneumonia patient?

Historically, the chief complaints in case of pneumonia include systemic signs like fever with chills, malaise, loss of appetite, and myalgias. These findings are more common in viral pneumonia as compared to bacterial pneumonia.

How is pneumonia diagnosed?

Blood tests are used to confirm an infection and to try to identify the type of organism causing the infection. However, precise identification isn't always possible. Chest X-ray. This helps your doctor diagnose pneumonia and determine the extent and location of the infection.

What does a pneumonia cough sound like?

If you have pneumonia, your lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale.

How do you document a patient with pneumonia?

To prove pneumonia is present, the physician writes a physical assessment and then requests a chest x-ray in an attempt to confirm pneumonia with imaging. In some cases, the chest x-ray may be negative and other diagnostics confirm the patient's pneumonia.

What is nursing diagnosis for pneumonia?

Nursing Diagnosis: Ineffective Breathing Pattern related to decreased lung expansion secondary to pneumonia as evidenced by a respiratory rate of 22, usage of accessory muscles, and labored breathing.

What lung sounds are heard with pneumonia?

Rhonchi sounds have a continuous snoring, gurgling, or rattle-like quality. Rhonchi occur in the bronchi as air moves through tracheal-bronchial passages coated with mucus or respiratory secretions. This is often heard in pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, or cystic fibrosis. Rhonchi usually clear after coughing.

How do you write a patient history report?

At a minimum it should include the following, but be prepared to take down any information the patient gives you that might be relevant:Allergies and drug reactions.Current medications, including over-the-counter drugs.Current and past medical or psychiatric illnesses or conditions.Past hospitalizations.More items...

What are the nursing responsibilities to a patient with pneumonia?

Nursing interventions for pneumonia and care plan goals for patients with pneumonia include measures to assist in effective coughing, maintaining a patent airway, decreasing viscosity and tenaciousness of secretions, and assisting in suctioning.

What is your chief complaint?

What is the Chief Complaint (CC)? The CC is a brief statement that describes the symptom, problem, diagnosis, or other reason for the patient encounter. The CC is usually stated in the patient's own words: “I have an upset stomach, my knees ache, and I need refills on my pain pills.”

What is cough in healthcare?

Cough is the most common complaint encountered by office-based healthcare practitioners in the United States. 1 It is important in the clearance of excessive secretions and foreign objects from the airways and is a contributing factor in the spread of infection from person to person. Cough is a mechanical reflex that involves a deep inspiration, ...

What is the term for coughing with expectoration of bloody sputum?

Hemoptysis. Cough with expectoration of bloody sputum or blood. Upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) Previously known as "postnasal drip syndrome"; characterized by abundant secretions from the upper respiratory tract that drip into the oropharynx and tracheobronchial tree, causing cough.

How long does a persistent cough last?

Persistent cough lasting longer than 8 weeks. Disease state characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. The airflow limitation is usually both progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases.

Is coughing a sign of underlying disease?

Although cough may often only be a minor annoyance, it can also be a sign of severe underlying disease. The clinician faced with a patient with an unexplained cough needs a systematic, integrated approach to this problem. 2 This will limit unnecessary testing and will lead to the proper diagnosis and treatment.

What is the acronym for respiratory pathology?

Patients with respiratory pathology can present with a wide variety of symptoms including but not limited to, cough, chest pain and dyspnoea. The SOCRATES acronym (explained below) is a useful tool that you can use to explore each of the patient’s presenting symptoms.

What are the symptoms of respiratory disease?

Key respiratory symptoms. Symptoms that are typically associated with respiratory disease include: Dyspnoea: shortness of breath associated with a wide range of respiratory pathology including pneumonia, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

What is signposting in history?

Signposting, in a history taking context, involves explicitly stating what you have discussed so far and what you plan to discuss next. Signposting can be a useful tool when transitioning between different parts of the patient’s history and it provides the patient with time to prepare for what is coming next.

What is history taking?

History taking typically involves a combination of open and closed questions. Open questions are effective at the start of consultations, allowing the patient to tell you what has happened in their own words. Closed questions can allow you to explore the symptoms mentioned by the patient in more detail to gain a better understanding of their presentation. Closed questions can also be used to identify relevant risk factors and narrow the differential diagnosis.

What is systemic enquiry?

A systemic enquiry involves performing a brief screen for symptoms in other body systems which may or may not be relevant to the primary presenting complaint. A systemic enquiry may also identify symptoms that the patient has forgotten to mention in the presenting complaint.

Is hemoptysis a pulmonary embolism?

Haemoptysis is typically associated with lung cancer but can be a rare clinical feature of pulmonary embolism. Wheeze: a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. It is commonly associated with conditions such as asthma, COPD and anaphylaxis.

How to diagnose pneumonia?

To diagnose pneumonia your doctor may perform: Blood tests to confirm an infection. A chest x-ray, which will help your doctor determine where your infection is located and how bad it is. A sputum test that takes a sample of fluid from your lungs after a deep cough.

What is walking pneumonia?

Walking pneumonia usually indicates a more mild pneumonia caused by a bacteria called mycoplasma pneumoniae. If you have walking pneumonia, your symptoms will be mild and you’ll probably function normally. Walking pneumonia symptoms include:

What are the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia?

Symptoms include: Fever (usually above 101F) Cough that produces discolored mucus and continues to get worse. Chills.

Why do I cough when I cough?

Maybe you’ve even started coughing up phlegm or have pain in your chest when you cough. Those are signs your cough might actually be pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs that can range from mild to life-threatening, which causes your lungs to fill up with fluid or pus.

What is the best treatment for pneumonia?

Common treatment for pneumonia includes: Antibiotics, which target and treat bacterial infections. More than one type of antibiotic may be needed to treat your pneumonia. Cough medicine to help reduce coughing and allow for more rest. Pain reliever/fever reducer to help bring down your fever and pain symptoms.

How to diagnose pneumonia?

If your doctor suspects you may have pneumonia, they will probably recommend some tests to confirm the diagnosis and learn more about your infection. These may include: 1 Blood tests to confirm the infection and to try to identify the germ that is causing your illness. 2 Chest X-ray to look for the location and extent of inflammation in your lungs. 3 Pulse oximetry to measure the oxygen level in your blood. Pneumonia can prevent your lungs from moving enough oxygen into your bloodstream. 4 Sputum test on a sample of mucus (sputum) taken after a deep cough, to look for the source of the infection.

What tests are done to determine if you have pneumonia?

These may include: Blood tests to confirm the infection and to try to identify the germ that is causing your illness.

What is a sputum test?

Sputum test on a sample of mucus (sputum) taken after a deep cough, to look for the source of the infection. If you are considered a high-risk patient because of your age and overall health, or if you are hospitalized, the doctors may want to do some additional tests, including:

What is the purpose of chest x-rays?

Chest X-ray to look for the location and extent of inflammation in your lungs. Pulse oximetry to measure the oxygen level in your blood. Pneumonia can prevent your lungs from moving enough oxygen into your bloodstream.

How do you know if you have a fever and a cough?

Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain. There may be a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips.

What is the most accurate blood test for lungs?

CT scan of the chest to get a better view of the lungs and look for abscesses or other complications. Arterial blood gas test, to measure the amount of oxygen in a blood sample taken from an artery, usually in your wrist. This is more accurate than the simpler pulse oximetry.

What is the procedure to look at the lungs?

Bronchoscopy, a procedure used to look into the lungs' airways. If you are hospitalized and your treatment is not working well, doctors may want to see whether something else is affecting your airways, such as a blockage. They may also take fluid samples or a biopsy of lung tissue.

When is pneumonia coughing?

Pneumonia cough. May 31, 2020. May 31, 2020. by Dr. Sapkota. Coughs are prominent symptoms of pneumonia. Pneumonia cough can be very distressful, but at the same time, coughs are an important defense against pneumonia. While personally treating thousands of hospitalized patients with pneumonia in the last 15 years, ...

Why is it important to cough during pneumonia?

First of all, it is important to understand that coughing helps end pneumonia faster. It is important to keep coughing and clearing your airway, especially in the first few days of pneumonia.

How to stop coughing when lying down?

When you lie down at night, stomach acid may flow backwards to your throat, making you cough. There are no clear-cut ways to help reduce pneumonia cough at night. Sometimes, keeping your head higher with a propped pillow may help. If you have increased mucus, an antihistamine such as Benadryl may help.

Why does coughing make phlegm yellow?

White blood cells (WBCs) and fluids rush to your lungs to fight the infection. Your cough helps get rid of these waste products in the form of thick, yellow phlegm. After about a week, your cough may produce more of a rusty-colored phlegm, as WBCs decrease while dried blood and dead cells increase.

How long does a cough last after pneumonia?

About 20% of people may have lingering coughs for a month. It is very uncommon for pneumonia cough to last longer than six weeks . If you still have coughs six weeks after pneumonia, you need to see your doctor to make sure you haven’t developed anything else.

What happens when you have pneumonia?

When you are suffering from pneumonia, your airways are inflamed. You have increased secretions in your airways caused by the immune system. You also have germs causing the pneumonia and dead cells that need to be replaced. All these things act as triggers for the cough sensors.

What is the cough reflex?

The cough reflex is your body’s most important weapon against pneumonia. People who can’t cough properly are at a higher risk of getting pneumonia in the first place. You need three things for a cough: Cough-triggering sensors. A cough center in the brain. Nerves and muscles actually needed to cough.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection in one or both of your lungs that causes the air sacs in your lungs to fill up with fluid or pus, according to the US National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus resource.

What are the most common symptoms of pneumonia?

The symptoms of pneumonia can vary a little, depending on what is causing the infection, Raymond Casciari, MD, a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, tells Health. In general, he says, pneumonia in the US is most commonly caused by either a bacteria or a virus, and the symptoms can be slightly different.

What does a pneumonia cough sound (and look) like?

Keep this in mind: "The cough itself isn't necessarily different, but a cough in the setting of pneumonia-like symptoms is concerning," Khalilah Gates, MD, pulmonary and critical care specialist at Northwestern Medicine, tells Health.

How to treat a pneumonia cough

If you're uncomfortable, you should call your doctor, whether you suspect that you have pneumonia or not. A painful cough can be a sign of a range of health issues, and it's really a good idea to get it checked out if it's bothering you and isn't getting better, Dr. Gates says.

How to tell if you have pneumonia?

Common symptoms include: Runny or stuffy nose. Fatigue (feeling tired) Low-grade fever. Hoarseness or loss of voice. Sore throat. Slowly worsening cough that can last for weeks or months. Headache. C. pneumoniae can also cause lower respiratory tract infections like bronchitis and lung infections like pneumonia.

How long does it take for a person to show symptoms after exposure?

It can take 3 to 4 weeks for symptoms to appear after someone has been exposed to the bacteria. Symptoms can also continue for several weeks after they start. Page last reviewed: January 10, 2019. Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Division of Bacterial Diseases.

What is the most common cause of upper respiratory tract infection?

minus. Related Pages. In general, Chlamydia pneumoniae infection is a mild illness that most commonly causes an upper respiratory tract infection. These upper respiratory tract infections can include a sore throat or an ear or sinus infection. Common symptoms include:

Opening The Consultation

Presenting Complaint

History of Presenting Complaint

• Patients with respiratory pathology can present with a wide variety of symptoms including but not limited to, cough, chest pain and dyspnoea. The SOCRATESacronym (explained below) is a useful tool that you can use to explore each of the patient’s presenting symptoms.

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Systemic Enquiry

Travel History

Past Medical History

Drug History

Family History

Social History

Closing The Consultation