Bacterial pneumonia history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Arooj Naz
Overview
History
It is important for health care providers to assess a patient's risk factors, including comorbidities and any conditions that may provide further information regarding the underlying cause of pneumonia. Affected individuals should be asked about:
- Duration of symptoms
- Presence of cough
- Dry
- Productive (Inquire about the amount and colour)
- Hemoptysis
- Details pertaining to fever
- Temperature
- Duration
- Pattern
- Presence or absence of any chills
- Associated chest pain
It may also be helpful to inquire about certain exposures:[1]
- Exposure to air-conditioning or water coolers and tanks (may indicate a Legionella pneumonia infection)
- Time spent in crowded locations such as homeless shelters, jails and or prisons (may indicate a Streptococcus pneumonia, Mycobacteria, Mycoplasma, and Chlamydia infection)
- Animal Exposure (eg, Chlamydia psittaci is found in individuals with exposure to birds)
- Recent sick contacts
Symptoms
Common Symptoms
- Fever
- Chills
- Productive cough
- Dyspnea
- Chest pain (pleuritic)
- Weight loss
Elderly patients may experience:
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Altered mental status
- Dyspepsia
- Absence of fever
Uncommon Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Myalgia
- Arthralgia
- Diarrhea and hyponatremia (indicative of Legionella)
- Anemia and jaundice (hemolytic anemia) (indicative of Mycoplasma)