On World Pneumonia Day, Alejandro Videla, professor at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of the Universidad Austral, head of the Pulmonology Service at the Austral University Hospital and president of the Argentine Association of Respiratory Medicine, shares some data on the infection that is among the top six causes of death in Argentina.
Pneumonia is the world's deadliest infection and ranks among the eight most common causes of death in adults (2019), alongside chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Furthermore, according to data from the Global Burden of Disease study, more than 700,000 children and one million older adults died from pneumonia in 2019 alone.
Pneumonia can originate when a person aspirates germs from the mouth or nose while sleeping, which reach the lungs, or when they inhale the microscopic particles of saliva that we all eliminate when sneezing, coughing, or even talking.
Symptoms include increased mucus production, fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, and chest pain. If a person experiences these symptoms, they should see their doctor for an accurate diagnosis and to begin appropriate treatment early.
It involves curing the infection and preventing its complications. Most people with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can be treated at home; the doctor will decide on the specific treatment, which will depend on the patient (age, medical history, etc.) and the severity of the illness.
In Argentina, pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death overall and the fifth leading cause in people over 60. Furthermore, the presence of cardiovascular disease and other illnesses increases the risk of developing severe forms of the disease. Vaccination, early diagnosis, and treatment with appropriate antibiotics reduce the risk of death from this infection.
Pneumonia is a major cause of childhood mortality, especially in developing countries. Respiratory infections in childhood are associated with an increased risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adulthood.
Argentina's National Immunization Schedule recommends vaccination against pneumococcus and influenza throughout life to provide immunity. A 2015 study of the causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the United States, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that seven of the 13 leading pathogens causing CAP are viruses. This means that vaccination can prevent many viral pneumonias. Currently, commercially available vaccines exist for influenza and coronavirus, in addition to Streptococcus pneumoniae.iae (or pneumococcus), and a vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus is under investigation.
Despite widespread awareness of its benefits, adult vaccination rates are low. The pandemic has created insufficient access to vaccination services, compounded by vaccine shortages and the near-exclusive focus of vaccination programs on combating COVID-19.
On the occasion of World Pneumonia Day, several monuments in Buenos Aires will be illuminated in blue, collaborating with the Pneumolight initiative that seeks to inform the population about the existence of community-acquired pneumonia and, even though the pandemic in our country seems to be limited, to remind us of the need for early diagnosis, appropriate treatment and the need for prevention through vaccines.
Source: Pillar of All
