Chronic pneumonia

　　Most chronic pneumonia is caused by repeated episodes of pneumonia, chronic sinusitis is also a major cause of chronic pneumonia, and malnutrition may also trigger chronic pneumonia. Then, besides these reasons, what other conditions may lead to chronic pneumonia? The following experts introduce the causes of chronic pneumonia.

　　1. Children with malnutrition, rickets, congenital heart disease, or tuberculosis are prone to prolonged course of pneumonia when they develop pneumonia.

　　2. Viral infections can cause interstitial pneumonia, which is prone to become chronic pneumonia. The Capital Institute of Pediatrics followed up on 103 cases of adenovirus pneumonia for 1 to 5 years after the disease, and found that 30.1% showed varying degrees of chronic pneumonia and atelectasis on X-ray examination. Some children also had bronchiectasis. For 13 cases of measles complicated with adenovirus pneumonia, 6 cases were followed up for 2 to 3 years after the disease, and 6 of them had become chronic pneumonia.

　　3. Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections or bronchitis, as well as chronic sinusitis, are all triggers for chronic pneumonia.

　　4. Foreign bodies that penetrate deeply into the bronchi, especially those that are not irritant and do not produce initial acute fever (such as date pits), can be ignored and remain in the lungs for a long time, forming chronic pneumonia.

　　5. Children with immune deficiency, including humoral and cellular immune deficiencies, complement deficiency, and defects in leukocyte phagocytic function, can lead to recurrent pneumonia and eventually become chronic.

　　6. Primary or secondary abnormalities in the morphology and function of respiratory cilia can lead to chronic lung inflammation.

　　Inflammatory lesions can invade various levels of bronchial tubes, alveoli, interstitial tissues, and blood vessels. Especially in the inflammation of interstitial tissues, there is some progression with each attack, which leads to the destruction of elastic fibers in the bronchial wall and eventually to stenosis due to fibrosis. At the same time, due to the obstruction of secretions, atelectasis occurs, which eventually leads to bronchiectasis. Due to the destruction of the bronchial wall and the alveolar wall, air can pass through the lymphatic vessels to the tissue spaces, forming interstitial emphysema. Local blood vessels and lymphatic vessels also develop proliferative inflammation, wall thickening, and stenosis of the lumen.

　　Chronic pneumonia is defined as a course lasting more than 3 months. In recent years, the mortality rate of pediatric acute pneumonia has been decreasing, but some children with severe pneumonia may not recover completely, and it is not uncommon for them to relapse and develop into chronic pneumonia. Therefore, timely prevention and treatment of chronic pneumonia is very important. Then, what are the complications of chronic pneumonia? The following experts introduce the complications of chronic pneumonia.

　　1. Sepsis

　　It is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria entering the blood circulation and multiplying in it, producing toxins that cause systemic infection, which is more likely to occur when the body's resistance is reduced. Clinically, it is mainly manifested as chills, high fever, toxicemia symptoms, rash, joint pain, enlargement of the liver and spleen, infectious shock, migratory lesions, and so on. The vast majority present an acute course, with severe illness and poor prognosis. It is further believed that sepsis is a series of连锁 reactions caused by the activation and release of inflammatory mediators after pathogenic bacteria and their toxins and metabolites enter the blood.

　　2. Arrhythmia

　　Due to abnormal activation of the sinoatrial node or activation originating outside the sinoatrial node, the conduction of impulses is slow, blocked, or conducted through an abnormal pathway, which leads to abnormal heart rate and rhythm due to the origin and/or conduction disorders of cardiac activity. Arrhythmias are an important group of diseases in cardiovascular diseases. They can occur alone or accompany cardiovascular diseases. They can suddenly occur and lead to sudden death, or they can continuously affect the heart and lead to failure.

　　3. Heart failure, also known as 'myocardial failure'

　　Refers to the condition where the heart is unable to pump an adequate supply of blood to meet the needs of venous return and body tissue metabolism.

　　4. Respiratory failure

　　A clinical syndrome with a series of pathophysiological disorders caused by severe respiratory dysfunction due to various reasons, leading to a decrease in arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), accompanied or not by an increase in arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2).

　　Chronic pneumonia refers to cases with a course lasting more than 3 months. In recent years, the mortality rate of pediatric acute pneumonia has been decreasing, but some children with severe pneumonia may not recover completely, and the recurrence and transformation into chronic pneumonia are not uncommon. Therefore, timely prevention and treatment of chronic pneumonia is very important. So, what are the typical symptoms of chronic pneumonia? The following experts introduce the symptoms of chronic pneumonia:

　　1. Chills and high fever

　　Typical cases start with a sudden chill, followed by high fever, with body temperature reaching up to 39℃~40℃, presenting a remittent fever pattern, often accompanied by headache, generalized muscle aches, and decreased appetite. The fever pattern may not be typical after the use of antibiotics, and elderly or weak patients may only have low fever or no fever.

　　2. Cough and sputum

　　Initially, there is a刺激性 dry cough, followed by coughing up white mucous sputum or sputum with blood streaks. After 1-2 days, sputum can be mucopurulent or ferruginous, or even purulent. As the exudative phase approaches, the amount of sputum increases, and it becomes yellow and thin.

　　3. Chest pain

　　There is often severe lateral chest pain, often in a pricking-like manner, which intensifies with coughing or deep breathing and can radiate to the shoulder or abdomen. If it is lower lobe pneumonia, it can stimulate the diaphragmatic pleura, causing severe abdominal pain, which is easily misdiagnosed as an acute abdomen.

　　4. Dyspnea

　　Dyspnea, rapid and shallow breathing, is caused by insufficient ventilation due to lung consolidation, chest pain, and toxicemia. In severe cases, it affects gas exchange, causing a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation and resulting in cyanosis.

　　5. Other symptoms

　　A few patients may have gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, or diarrhea. Severe infections can cause confusion, irritability, drowsiness, and coma.

　　6. Symptoms of mycoplasma pneumonia

　　The incubation period is 2-3 weeks, with a slow onset and about 1/3 of the cases showing no symptoms. It appears in the form of bronchitis, pneumonia, otitis media, etc., with pneumonia being the most severe. At the onset, there are symptoms such as fatigue, headache, sore throat, chills, fever, muscle aches, decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting, with prominent headache. The fever can vary in intensity, reaching up to 39℃. After 2-3 days, significant respiratory symptoms appear, such as paroxysmal刺激性 cough, coughing up a small amount of sputum or purulent sputum, sometimes with blood in the sputum. The fever can last for 2-3 weeks. After the fever returns to normal, cough may persist, accompanied by pain under the sternum, but without chest pain.

　　The recovery of pathological changes in acute pneumonia is later than clinical recovery. Therefore, during the convalescence period of severe pneumonia, physical therapy and gymnastics should be performed, and active treatment should be given to concurrent rickets and malnutrition. Follow-up and continued treatment should be carried out after discharge until complete recovery. In addition, efforts should be made to prevent measles, pertussis, influenza, and adenovirus infections during the infant and toddler period. For chronic sinusitis and recurrent bronchitis, active prevention and treatment should be carried out. Children with immune deficiency can adopt immunomodulatory therapy, selecting human blood gamma globulin, transfer factor, thymosin, or traditional Chinese medicine treatment according to specific conditions. Bone marrow transplantation can be adopted if necessary to rebuild immune function, prevent recurrent infections, and chronic pneumonia.

　　The X-ray chest film shows that the lung textures in the middle and lower fields of both lungs and the hilum area can be honeycomb-like, with small bubble-like emphysema, and there may also be substantial inflammatory foci. The shadows of both hilum areas can be symmetrically enlarged, and bronchiectasis may occur with the progression of the disease. X-ray signs of pulmonary heart disease, such as hypertrophy of the right ventricle and prominence of the pulmonary artery segment. In cases of pulmonary heart disease, the electrocardiogram may show counterclockwise rotation, a high and pointed P wave, and the majority of QRS complexes may show a thickening pattern of the right ventricle.

　　Chronic pneumonia is defined as pneumonia that lasts for more than 3 months. In recent years, the mortality rate of acute pneumonia in children has been decreasing, but some children with severe pneumonia may not fully recover and may develop chronic pneumonia, so timely prevention and treatment of chronic pneumonia is very important. In addition to medication, dietary adjustment is also needed for patients with chronic pneumonia, and here is a healthy diet plan for patients with chronic pneumonia.

　　1. Stir-fried Carp with Celery

　　Ingredients: 250 grams of carp, 50 grams of fresh celery, starch, ginger strips, garlic strips, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, refined salt, monosodium glutamate, cooking wine, soaked pickled chili peppers, and vegetable oil in appropriate amounts.

　　Preparation: Cut the carp into shreds, cut the celery into segments, and mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, monosodium glutamate, cooking wine, salt, starch, and stock to make a sauce. Heat a wok over high heat, add oil, and when it reaches 150°C, add the fish shreds and stir-fry until separated. Drain the excess oil, add ginger strips and soaked pickled chili peppers. Stir-fry the celery segments until fragrant, then add the sauce, add bright oil, and remove from heat.

　　Effects: Carp has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, diuretic, reducing edema, and stopping coughing and gasping; celery has the effects of calming the liver, clearing heat, removing wind-dampness, and nourishing the spirit and invigorating the body. The combination of carp and celery is suitable for the auxiliary treatment of acute and chronic pneumonia.

　　2. Rabbit Meat and Mushroom Shreds

　　Ingredients: 100 grams of cooked rabbit meat, 50 grams of mushrooms, 25 grams of scallion whites, chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, sesame paste, Sichuan pepper powder, and monosodium glutamate in appropriate amounts.

　　Preparation: Shred the cooked rabbit meat and scallion whites, and cook the mushrooms. Place the scallions and mushrooms at the bottom, cover with rabbit shreds, and serve in a dish. Gradually mix the sesame paste with soy sauce, then mix with sesame oil to make the sauce, and pour it over the rabbit shreds before serving.

　　Effects: Mutton has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, invigorating the spleen, removing dampness and cooling the blood, and promoting defecation. Mushrooms have the effects of detoxifying, moisturizing, invigorating the spleen, and stopping diarrhea. The combination of rabbit meat and mushrooms is suitable for the treatment of acute pneumonia.

　　3. Quail and Lily Soup

　　Ingredients: 1 quail, 25 grams of lily, ginger, scallions, monosodium glutamate, and fine salt in appropriate amounts.

　　Preparation: After killing the quail, remove the feathers, claws, and internal organs, wash it clean, and blanch it in boiling water, then remove and cut into pieces; separate the lily flowers, wash them, and set aside. Wash the ginger and scallions, smash the ginger, and cut the scallions into segments. Place a pot on a high heat, add some water, put in the quail, bring to a boil, then add the lily flowers, ginger pieces, and scallion segments, and simmer over low heat until the quail is cooked. Add salt and monosodium glutamate, cover and simmer for a few minutes, then serve in a soup bowl.

　　Effects: Quail meat has the effects of benefiting the five internal organs, invigorating the liver and clearing the lung, clearing heat and promoting diuresis, and eliminating accumulation and stopping diarrhea; lily has the effects of moistening the lung and stopping cough, nourishing yin and clearing heat, calming the mind. Both of them are suitable for acute and chronic pneumonia.

　　4. Lean meat and Chinese cabbage soup

　　Ingredients: 100 grams of lean meat and Chinese cabbage heart, a little ginger, garlic, salt, monosodium glutamate, and chicken oil.

　　Preparation: Cut the lean meat into thin strips, wash and cut the Chinese cabbage, put it into boiling water, remove it when it is just cooked, rinse it with clean water, drain the water and set it aside. Put the pot on a high heat, add chicken oil to 50% maturity, add garlic and stir-fry until golden yellow, add lean meat and stir-fry together, add fine salt, cook in soup, add Chinese cabbage heart and boil, then add monosodium glutamate and it is ready to eat.

　　Effects: Lean meat has the effects of invigorating the middle-jiao and benefiting the Qi, moistening the intestines and stomach; Chinese cabbage is mild in nature and sweet in taste, with the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving phlegm and stopping cough, relieving restlessness and promoting defecation. The combination of lean meat and Chinese cabbage is suitable for acute and chronic pneumonia.

　　There are many treatment methods for chronic pneumonia, and most of the treatment methods now are very effective. Choose a treatment method according to your physical condition. Some people have strong drug resistance, and the treatment method can choose traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. The following experts introduce the method of traditional Chinese medicine treatment for chronic pneumonia.

　　1. Internal congestion of pathogenic heat

　　Symptoms of chronic pneumonia: Feeling cold, fever, cough, chest pain, no sweating, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and constipation, red tongue with thick and greasy coating, slippery and rapid pulse.

　　Treatment method for chronic pneumonia: Promote lung and relieve chest, clear heat and relieve constipation.

　　Herbal medicine for chronic pneumonia: 45 grams of Gypsum fibrosum, 30 grams of Trichosanthes kirilowii, 5 grams of rhubarb, 10 grams of almond, 15 grams of Anemarrhena asphodeloides, 10 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 15 grams of芍药, 10 grams of Bupleurum chinense, 10 grams of Pteris multifida, 30 grams of Rhizoma et Rhizoma coptidis.

　　Use it in decoction.

　　2. Stagnation of lung and stomach heat

　　Symptoms of chronic pneumonia: Body heat with sweating but not relieved, cough with sputum containing redness, thin and greasy tongue coating and yellow, soft and slippery pulse.

　　Treatment method for chronic pneumonia: Clear the lung and stomach, and resolve phlegm heat.

　　Herbal medicine for chronic pneumonia: 4.5 grams of tender Pteris multifida, 12 grams of green soybean curd, 9 grams of water-baked Mulberry leaves, 9 grams of honeysuckle, 9 grams of Forsythia fruit, 9 grams of light almond powder, 4.5 grams of象贝粉, 9 grams of black栀, 3 grams of licorice root.

　　Use it in decoction.