Pneumonia Complications

Complications

• Atelectasis
  • (Collapsed, airless alveoli) of one or part of one lobe may occur. These areas may clear with effective deep breathing and coughing.
• Pleurisy
  • Inflammation of the pleura
• Pleural effusion
  • Fluid in the pleural space
• Bacteremia
  • (Bacterial infection in the blood) is more likely to occur in infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae
• Pneumothorax
  • Can occur when air collects in the pleural space, causing the lungs to collapse
• Meningitis
  • Can be caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
  • The patient with pneumonia who is disoriented, confused, or drowsy may have a lumbar puncture to evaluate the possibility of meningitis.
• Acute respiratory failure
  • One of the leading causes of death in patients with severe pneumonia.
  • Failure occurs when pneumonia damages the lungs’ ability to facilitate the exchange of O₂ and CO₂ across the alveolar-capillary membrane.
• Sepsis/septic shock
  • Can occur when bacteria within alveoli enter the bloodstream. Severe sepsis can lead to shock and multisystem organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)
• Lung abscess
  • Not a common complication of pneumonia.
  • It may occur with pneumonia caused by S. aureus and gram-negative organisms
• Empyema
  • The accumulation of purulent exudate in the pleural cavity, occurs in less than 5% of cases and requires antibiotic therapy and drainage of the exudate by a chest tube or open surgical drainage