There are so many similarities between cold and flu that flu often happens when it is mistaken for a cold.
The common cold can heal itself within 5 to 7 days with few complications. Although most influenza is also self-limiting, some of it can be complicated by pneumonia, otitis media, myocarditis, meningitis or encephalitis, and patients may even suffer from acute respiratory distress. Syndrome, multiple organ failure and death.
The elderly, children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, patients with chronic underlying diseases, and immunodeficiency people are high-risk groups of influenza and high-risk groups of severe cases. Among them, pneumonia is a common complication of influenza in children.
A multi-center survey during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in my country found that 72.3% of children hospitalized due to influenza had pneumonia.
Pneumonia is the most common severe infection or complication of influenza. Pneumococcus is the main pathogen.
Pneumococcal bacteria accounted for 40.80% of influenza co-infections during the influenza pandemic; pneumococcus accounted for 16.60% of influenza co-infections during seasonal influenza, which are much higher than other pathogens.
This study shows that in China, influenza combined with pneumococcal infection is also the most common pneumonia combined infection.
Pneumonia and influenza work hand in hand to greatly increase the destructive power
Influenza and bacterial pneumonia are common respiratory diseases. When the two "meet" in the same body, they may cause a "fatal encounter" because of the synergy. Animal experiments have shown that influenza virus accompanied by pneumococcal infection greatly increases the risk of death.
About 50% of severe bacterial pneumonia is caused by pneumococcus. Because pneumococcal bacteria can be colonized in the nasopharynx, protective measures such as wearing masks and washing hands are limited to children who have already carried the bacteria.
Influenza virus and pneumococcus, the "bad brothers" not only often accompany each other, but they also have many internal similarities.
The first is similar communication characteristics. The main way of transmission is respiratory droplets, and a sneeze can be spread to others through droplets.
Second, the susceptible groups are similar. Children under 5 years old and elderly people over 65 years old are at high risk of influenza virus and pneumococcal infection. In many families, the elderly bring their children, and the elderly and children are prone to cross-infection.
Third, the initial symptoms are similar. The symptoms of fever, muscle pain, cough, fatigue and other symptoms of influenza are very similar to the early symptoms of pneumococcal infection, which can easily make people take it lightly and delay medical treatment.
Prevention is more important than treatment
The most effective way to prevent severe health hazards caused by influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection is to vaccinate.
Nowadays, the treatment of pneumonia faces three major dilemmas:
It is difficult to identify the source of infection for 60% of community-type pneumonia patients, and it is not easy to accurately administer drugs in the first time
Among the common community-type pneumonia patients, 40 to 60% cannot confirm the source of infection. In addition, it is difficult for the elderly to cough up sputum, and it takes a long time to cultivate bacteria through sputum. Therefore, in clinical practice, empirical drug administration is usually used first, which may reduce the therapeutic effect.
The low concentration of antibiotics entering the lungs affects the effectiveness of treatment
The most common treatment for pneumonia is antibiotics. However, the concentration of antibiotics entering the alveoli is lower than the concentration in the blood, and higher doses of antibiotics are needed for treatment.
More than 70% of Streptococcus pneumoniae are resistant to common antibiotics
Streptococcus pneumoniae has been listed by the World Health Organization as one of the world‘s 12 resistant bacteria that urgently need new antibiotic treatment, and research data also show that up to 70% of Streptococcus pneumoniae are highly resistant to common first-line antibiotics.
Because of the difficulty in treating pneumonia and people with weakened immunity, it is recommended that in addition to influenza vaccination, it is recommended to take the initiative to inoculate pneumococcal vaccine to achieve complete protection.
Return