Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Epidemiology, Causes, and Signs and Symptoms

Community-Acquired Pneumonia Disease
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Community-Acquired Pneumonia Disease
Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is a severe pulmonary parenchyma infection. According to Leung et al. (2018), this illness is often acute and arises from infection by contacting pathogens in the community. The sudden onset of the disease illustrates that it is a life-threatening condition of public concern considering that experts have associated it with increased mortality and morbidity among the victims, especially in the developing world. CAP is a significant problem among children because of their relatively immature immunity and carefree young life, increasing their vulnerability to acquiring the causative agents. As a result, Yun et al. (2019) indicate that CAP is the top cause of mortality among children under five. The author suggests that it also tops among the most infectious diseases that increase hospitalization and the intake of antibiotics in all countries, including the industrialized ones. As a result, this paper investigates CAP in children to identify the nature of the disease, its epidemiology, etiology, signs and symptoms, treatment options, and prevention mechanisms.
Epidemiology of CAP
Estimates indicate that pneumonia is one of the primary life-threatening illnesses worldwide. According to Lanks et al. (2019), the disease has already demonstrated its infectiveness by having risen as the eighth major mortality cause in the U.S. in 2015 and fourth internationally. In the same year, Nascimento-Carvalho (2020) indicated that it received linkages to the loss of approximately 0.921 children below five years old. Other researchers suggest that the numbers for its impacts remain underrated. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that about 2 million children below five years likely die of this disease yearly (Leung et al., 2018). Statistics reveal that CAP remains a common occurrence in most developing nations, with estimates highlighting that it occurs at about 0.28 episodes for every child in a year. According to Leung et al. (2018), trends indicate that the developing world witnesses approximately 36 – 40 CAP incidences for every 1000 under-five children and 11 – 16 for 1000 children between the ages of 5 and 14. Statistics for North America indicate that the yearly incidence rate stands at 30 – 45 in the former group and 6 -12 in children beyond the age of nine years. These statistics indicate that CAP is a concerning disease that contributes to a significant healthcare burden irrespective of the development status of a nation. As a result, it leads to substantial financial costs for the system and individuals. In addition, it disrupts the functionalities of the patients. Thus, this aspect demonstrates the severity of CAP infections.
What Causes CAP
The causes of CAP vary based on diverse factors, including the child’s age and where they acquire the illness. Leung et al. (2018) indicate that researchers have established viruses as the primary causes of CAP among children below the age of five years. They state that this causative agent has become linked to up to 50% of all child-related cases. However, the authors indicate that this incidence decreases with advancing age. Since these viral infections disrupt the respiratory tract’s mucosal linings, they increase the likelihood of bacterial coinfection, leading to 33% of reported incidences (Leung et al. (2018). In this context, Leung et al. (2018) flag the respiratory syncytial virus as the primary culprit leading to the increased cases of CAP in children. However, other virus-related pathogens also contribute to this menace, including adenoviruses, B virus, parainfluenza virus, human bocavirus, rhinovirus, enterovirus, and parechovirus (Nascimento-Carvalho, 2020). As a result, viruses emerge as significant causes of concern in CAP cases.
Although studies indicate that bacterial agents are present in slightly fewer cases compared to viruses, they also significantly impact CAP prevalence in children. Yun et al. (2019) suggest that identifying them remains fundamental because of their probability of triggering complicated or severe pneumonia that can quickly progress to mortality. Lanks et al. (2019) isolate Streptococcus pneumoniae as the leading bacteria agent that causes CAP infections in all individuals, irrespective of their age groups. However, Leung et al. (2018) predict continuous changes in the pattern due to the introduction of a pneumococcal vaccine and its popularization through the universal vaccination campaigns for all children. Although Streptococcus pneumoniae dominates among the bacteria agents, other strains in this category remain significant. For instance, Nascimento-Carvalho (2020) indicates that H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis cause substantial harm when triggering CAP. Leung et al. (2018) suggest that healthcare providers associate Chlamydia trachomatis with infancy-based afebrile pneumonia. The author also implicates Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis in the emergence of this illness. The writer further indicates that anaerobic oral flora becomes the leading cause of the CAP whenever a patient presents with aspiration history. These culprits comprise the Prevotella melaninogenica and anaerobic streptococci species, among others. Health experts should remain alert about Pneumocystis Jiroveci, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella species, and Fusarium in immune-compromised children. Thus, the causative agents for CAP are widespread and interlinked, requiring diligent assessment.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Diverse aspects influence the signs and symptoms of CAP. For instance, Leung et al. (2018) argue that the child’s age and health status are significant factors. Other aspects include the pathogen responsible for the disease and the disease severity. One of the challenging aspects of CAP is that the diverse clinical manifestations remain non-specific, indicating that healthcare providers cannon isolate any of them as pathognomonic to the infection. Lanks et al. (2019) suggest that typical CAP presentations become characterized by the emergence of symptoms related to acute infection of the lower respiratory system. They include cough, fever, dyspnea, pleurisy, and excessive sputum expulsion (Lanks et al., 2019). However, the author warns that the absence of these classic presentations does not rule out the illness. The main reason is that many patients also present with atypical symptoms dominated by non-respiratory signs. In this context, Leung et al. (2018) state that infants can show leth...