Lung Abscess
A lung abscess is a bacterial infection in the lungs that cause pus. The main symptoms of lung abscess are coughing in phlegm. Sputum issued often contain blood or pus, and smell.
Lung abscess is treated with antibiotics. Patients are required to consume antibiotics for several weeks until the infection subsides. Patients who undergo treatment with a high level of healing. Conversely, if not handled properly, this disease can cause complications or even death.
Causes of lung abscess
The main causes of lung abscess are the emergence of infections in the lung tissue due to fluid or food containing bacteria directly enter the lungs. This incident occurred when someone was unconscious due to the influence of alcohol or medicine, especially sedatives.
In addition to being caused by foreign fluids that enter the lungs, lung abscess can be a complication of other diseases, both diseases in their lungs and outside the lungs, namely:
- The aversion of airways in the lungs, due to tumors or enlarged glands in the lungs
- Pneumonia, precisely pneumonia caused by bacteria
- Bronchiectasis, namely widening, thickening, and damage to the tissue of the respiratory tract before the lungs (bronchus)
- Cystic fibrosis, which is a respiratory disease that results in the mucus of the respiratory or phlegm becoming thicker. These thick mucus fluids will clog the breath from or to the lungs, so they can trigger the infection that forms
- Peritonitis, namely infection in the stomach membrane (peritoneum)
- Endocarditis, namely infection on the inner heart wall
Risk factors for lung abscess
Alcoholism is a group of people who easily experience lung abscesses, due to reduced awareness and often experiencing vomiting. This condition causes fluids from the stomach or from outside containing bacteria easier to enter into the lungs and cause infection and abscesses.
Alcoholics also have a weaker immune system so that infection is easier to occur. Alcoholics that are moderate or just suffering from pneumonia have a high risk of lung abscess. In addition to alcoholics, some factors that can increase the risk of lung abscesses are:
- The weak immune system, such as cancer and HIV sufferers, and taking drugs that reduce body resistance.
- Losing awareness for a long time.
- Is under the influence of anesthesia or sedatives.
Symptoms of lung abscess
The main symptom of lung abscess is coughing. Cough that occurs accompanied by phlegm containing blood or pus. In addition, other symptoms that can appear in sufferers are:
- Chest pain
- Hard to breathe
- Losing weight
- Weak
- High fever
- Breath smell
- Sweating (especially at night)
Diagnosis of lung abscess
The doctor will suspect a patient suffering from lung abscess if there are symptoms, which are strengthened by physical examinations. To ensure the diagnosis, a penalty examination needs to be done, one of which is phlegm testing. The phlegm samples taken will be examined in the laboratory to ensure infection or not, as well as the type of bacteria causing infection.
In addition to phlegm tests, the possibility of doctors can also ask patients to undergo a supporting examination in the form of:
- X-ray photo. The patient's chest is checked using X-ray rays that will provide visual information if there are abscesses in the lungs.
- CT scan. CT scans provide better inspection results visually compared to x-ray photos, so that lung abscess becomes easier to be identified.
- Ultrasound (USG). The doctor will examine the existence of lung abscesses through the use of ultrasonic waves.
- Bronchoscopy. Pulmonary doctors will examine the inside of the lungs with the help of special hoses equipped with cameras at the end. In addition to checking the condition of the lungs visually, bronchoscopy can also be done to take samples of lung tissue.
Treatment of lung abscess
The main treatment carried out to handle lung abscesses is the administration of antibiotics. The doctor will prescribe antibiotics following the results of the bacterial sensitivity test so that the drug given is following the type of bacteria, so it works effectively. Some types of antibiotics that can be given to patients with lung abscesses are:
- Penicillin
- Clindamycin.
- Piperacillin.
- Amoxicillin-Clavulanate
- Metronidazole
- Ciprofloxacin
- Vancomycin
- Amikacin
- Meropenem
- Levofloxacin.
The duration of antibiotic treatment that patients will be undertaken, depending on the severity of the abscess. The treatment of lung abscesses is relatively long, which can reach 3 weeks to 6 months. In patients with secondary lung, an abscess will usually be recommended for hospital treatment to help treat diseases that trigger abscess.
In some cases, patients can undergo treatment through surgery to eliminate abscesses. The surgeon will put a hose into the inside of the lungs, then the pus contained in the abscess is sucked out. Lung tissue that is damaged by abscesses is then removed.
To help the healing process from abscesses, patients will be asked to stop drinking alcohol and not smoking. Patients will also be recommended to drink more water.
Complications of lung abscess
Complications in cases of lung abscess often occur due to rupture of abscesses. Some of them are:
- Bronkopleural fistula. This condition can arise if the abscess in the lung breaks and causes a leak. As a result, air from the lungs can flow out of the lungs. This complication can be corrected by an operation.
- Lung bleeding. The outbreak of lung abscess can be followed by a rupture of blood vessels in the organ. This condition can cause patients to lose blood due to bleeding. If bleeding occurs quite severely, it can endanger the lives of sufferers due to blood loss.
- Distribution of infection. Broken abscesses will cause bacteria to spread from the location of the infection to other parts of the body.
Thus the discussion of Lung Abscess, don't forget to always visit Thumbs Health for the latest updates on health, healthy lifestyles, and various types of diseases and their handling.
