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 Pneumonia:

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that causes fluid to collect in the air sacs. Approximately 80% of pneumonia is caused by viruses and 20% by bacteria.

What are the symptoms of pneumonia?

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing (respiratory distress)
  • Your child may have extra mucus in the lungs and sound "junky" when breathing.

    • Home care

    Your child should be evaluated in our office. Please call our office today for an appointment, sooner if your child has any of the warning signs.

    Medicine:

  • Fill the prescription right away.
  • If we prescribe an antibiotic, make sure your child takes it for the number of days prescribed. Give the medicine even if your child feels better.
  • Not giving all the medicine may cause the infection to come back and be harder to treat.
  • Sometimes antibiotics can cause diarrhea. Do not stop the antibiotic before consulting our office.

    • Activity:

  • Let your child rest and have quiet times.
  • Rest helps to fight the infection.

    • If your child seems to have a mild illness and is not taking in as much by mouth, try increasing fluid intake by offering small amounts more often.

  • For children under one year of age, give 1-2 ounces of formula, breast milk, or rehydration therapy (e.g. Pedialyte® or Kaolectrolyte®) every 30 minutes to an hour.
  • Do not give children under 2 large amounts of water.
  • Older children who are more severely dehydrated (see warning signs) should be given only rehydration therapy.

    • Extra fluids will help to thin the mucus in the lungs.

    Encourage your child to cough. Coughing will help open the breathing tubes.

    Use acetaminophen (Tylenol®, Tempra®, or Panadol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) for fever, pain, and discomfort. Avoid ibuprofen if your child is dehydrated or unable to take anything by mouth.

    Do not use aspirin because of the increased risk of Reye's Syndrome with certain infections.

    Fever:

    Only pneumonia caused by bacteria are helped by antibiotics. Because it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference, antibiotics are sometimes prescribed for some cases of viral pneumonia.

  • The antibiotic takes 2-3 days to begin taking effect. Your child may still have a fever during this time.
  • Follow the package instructions to determine the appropriate dose by your child's WEIGHT or age for acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  • Call our office if the fever lasts more than 3 days after starting the medicine.

    • Cough suppressants and decongestants have not been shown to be effective in children under 1 year of age.

    For young children who have a lot of nasal drainage, try nasal saline drops and bulb syringe suction to clear the passageway, especially before feedings and sleep.

    Try a cool-mist humidifier. This may decrease congestion. Do not use a warm water humidifier because your child may be burned if the water is spilled.

    Warning signs - Call our office for advice if:

    Your child has difficulty breathing to the extent that his skin seems to be sucked in between the ribs or the throat, retractions, call our office now.

    Your child cannot lie flat, call our office now.

    Your child cannot speak full sentences, call our office now.

    Your child vomits the medicine, call our office now.

    Your child has a fever after 3 days of medicine, call our office now.

    Your child refuses to drink, call our office now.

    Your child has any signs of dehydration such as no tears while crying, dry lips and mouth, fewer wet diapers (around 6 per day is normal), or sunken eyes, call our office now.

    Your child is breathing hard, call our office now.

    Your child is breathing faster than the normal rate, call our office now.

    Your child's skin appears blue around the nose or mouth, call our office now.

    Your child grunts at the end of each breath, call our office now.

    Your child is less than 2 months old and has a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees F, call our office now.

    Your child is older than 6 months and has a temperature greater than 102.5 degrees F, call our office now.

    You have any questions or concerns, or if you have any doubts about the severity of your child's symptoms, call our office now.