How serious is pneumonia after surgery?
Getting pneumonia after surgery can be quite serious. According to the CDC, studies have suggested that pneumonia acquired in the hospital can be fatal as often as 33% of the time.
How long does pneumonia last before death?
The air sacs of the lungs become inflamed and fill with fluid. Most healthy people recover within three weeks, but in severe cases, the infection spreads and interferes with oxygen reaching the bloodstream. In extreme cases that go untreated, pneumonia can kill within hours, PBS has reported.
Why does pneumonia happen after surgery?
Pneumonia is caused by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection. These germs can enter your lungs through medical equipment. The types of germs found in hospitals can be resistant to drugs, and that makes them very dangerous. You can also be exposed to germs at home as you recover from your surgery.
How does pneumonia lead to death?
For patients with pneumonia-related mortality, the most frequent causes of death were respiratory failure and neurological disease, while for patients with pneumonia-unrelated mortality, the most frequent causes of death were malignancy and cardiac disease.
What are signs of pneumonia after surgery?
Pneumonia (infection of the lung tissue) is a serious complication that sometimes occurs after major surgery. It causes such symptoms as fever, shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain. It often requires treatment with antibiotics and lengthens the time until the patient is well enough to leave the hospital.
How fast can you get pneumonia after surgery?
This term can be used to describe both hospital-acquired pneumonia (which develops within 48 to 72 hours after hospital admission) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (which develops 48 to 72 hours after endotracheal intubation).
What are the four stages of pneumonia?
Stages of Pneumonia
- Stage 1: Congestion. During the congestion phase, the lungs become very heavy and congested due to infectious fluid that has accumulated in the air sacs.
- Stage 2: Red hepatization.
- Stage 3: Gray hepatization.
- Stage 4: Resolution.
What is the second stage of pneumonia?
Stage 2: Red hepatization Red blood cells and immune cells that enter the fluid-filled lungs to combat the infection give the lungs a red appearance. Although the body is beginning to fight the infection during this stage, your loved one may experience worsening symptoms such as: Increasingly productive cough.