Question

Recent outbreak of respiratory related infection causing mortalities especially among the aged due to pneumonia and its attending complications.
describe the nursing management of a client with pneumonia

Answer 1

Pneumonia is the infection of alveoli of lungs caused by bacteria,virus or fungi.

Pneumonia are of many types like community acquired pneumonia, hospital acquired pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia etc.

Nursing management of pneumonia include:

1. Assessment of respiratory symptoms:

If a patient suffering from fever, chills,night sweats,it should be immediately reported. This can be symptoms of bacterial pneumonia.

2. Assess clinical manifestations:

Assessment of respiratory system for manifestations like pleuritic pain, bradycardia, tachypnea, fatigue,use of accessory muscles for breathing,cough.

3. Physical examination: It include assessment of changes in body temperature,pulse, amount and colour of secretions, frequency of cough, shortness of breath etc.

4. Assessment of elderly: It include assessment of symptoms like excessive fatigue, mental status, dehydration of elderly patients.

5. For patient with excessive secretions nurse should do removal of secretion by suctioning.

6. Encourage the patients to drink more fluids to loosen pulmonary secretions.

7. Provide humidified oxygen therapy to loosen secretions and ventilation.

8. Teach coughing exercises to ensure airway patency.

9. Perform chest physiotherapy is important measure to loosen and mobilization of secretions.

10. Provide comfortable position and encourage rest: Advice to avoid unwanted activities and also provide comfortable semi-fowler's position to the patient.

11. Provide health education about the cause of pneumonia, home management of symptoms,

12. Provide discharge teaching regarding oral antibiotics, breathing exercises,proper follow up.