Temperature after pneumonia

Pneumonia, or as it is also called inflammation of the lungs, does not appear out of nowhere, the cause of its development are pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria and microbes). Sometimes, a seemingly trivial cold can quickly develop into pneumonia. One of the symptoms of this pathology is high temperature. Often, there is a temperature after pneumonia and this cannot but worry the patient.

Causes of fever after pneumonia

After completing a full course of treatment for pneumonia, the patient may have a subfebrile temperature, which is not particularly worrying - such a clinic fits completely into the picture of the norm, but only if the clinical blood test is normal and the X-ray does not show infiltrative darkening against the background of the chest X-ray. There are four main causes of fever after pneumonia.

• This is not a complete elimination of all foci of inflammation.
• Temperature manifestations may be associated with damage to internal organs and body systems by toxins and lung decay products. Such complications can cause:
  • Infectious toxic shock.
  • Pulmonary edema.
  • Acute respiratory and cardiac failure.
  • Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart muscle (myocardium).
  • Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocardium).
  • Pericarditis is an inflammatory disease of the pericardium, the outer connective tissue membrane of the heart that covers it on all sides.
  • Blood coagulation disorders.
  • Empyema of the pleura.
  • Various types of psychosis.
  • Sepsis.
  • Various purulent manifestations.
  • Meningitis.
• The addition of a new infection to an organism that is still weakened and has not yet fully recovered from the previous illness.
• The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the patient's body, which are capable of actively multiplying during the period of decline in the human immune system and transforming into the "L-form" during the period of increased antibody production associated with a high level of immunity. This picture is characteristic of the chronic course of the disease.

In any case, it is better to consult an otolaryngologist or pulmonologist regarding your symptoms.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ]

Symptoms of fever after pneumonia

Pneumonia can be contracted by airborne droplets, and it can also develop as a complication of a common cold, at first glance. Quite often, pneumonia is asymptomatic, which complicates its diagnosis and effective therapy. Symptoms of temperature after pneumonia are readings on the thermometer that exceed the norm, increased sweating, loss of strength, fever, drowsiness may appear. But subfebrile temperature is the same symptom that indicates an inflammatory process occurring in the body. Against the background of pathology, its accompanying symptoms may be:

• Dry or wet cough.
• Chills.
• Decreased appetite.
• General weakness.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Tachycardia.
• Decreased physical activity.
• Lethargy.

The temperature persists with pneumonia

Pneumonia is one of the most common complications that can be caused by acute respiratory disease (ARD). And patients are always interested in the question, how long does the temperature last with pneumonia? And how can the recovery process be accelerated? Mainly, this pathology is most common in regions with a consistently cold and damp climate. Our country is located in just such a climate zone. In our region, this pathology is not only quite widespread, but also there are frequent cases when the initial form of the disease passes into its acute or chronic stage, occurring with a constant elevated temperature. The disease is usually quite severe, and therapy takes a long time. This is especially true for those cases when the disease was treated independently, and the patient got through it on his feet.

Therefore, it is very important to recognize, diagnose and begin adequate therapy at an early stage of the pathology. Only a qualified doctor can do this, because the initial symptoms are often similar to the manifestations of a common infectious disease (RVI). The patient has a cough (at an early stage of development, it is mainly dry), general weakness of the body, the thermometer shows high numbers, apathy, periodically there is a sore throat. These symptoms are inherent in many cold pathologies, they can be observed in the case of a decrease in the body's defenses, but if they manifest themselves in a complex - this is a signal to seek help from a specialist, since together they indicate the development of a serious disease in the body, such as inflammation of the lung tissue.

It is impossible to say for sure how long the temperature will last with pneumonia. Everything depends on the immune system, the condition of the patient's body, and the severity of the disease. During the course of the disease, the temperature readings vary between 37 and 38 degrees. The thermometer usually shows such figures in the evening, while in the morning the mercury column drops to normal readings of 36.6 ^o C. If the patient has a high level of immunity, then such a picture can be observed for two weeks. Therefore, if the elevated temperature persists for five to seven days, you should not delay any longer; a consultation and examination by a specialist is necessary. Initially, you can make an appointment with an otolaryngologist. If necessary, he will refer you to a more specialized specialist (for example, a pulmonologist), and hospitalization may also be necessary.

For a long time, pneumonia progresses with weak symptoms, only the general tone of the human body decreases. At a certain point, the temperature can rise to 39 - 40 ^o C. At the same time, coughing fits intensify, which goes from dry to coughing with sputum. When expectorating sputum, streaks of blood can sometimes be observed. The patient may experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and may be haunted by pain in the head and chest. Therefore, you should not delay, only adequate treatment, with correctly selected medications can quickly stop the pathology and completely get rid of it.

Temperature 37 ^o C after pneumonia

Due to intensive conservative treatment, carried out on a hospital or outpatient basis, the attending physician manages to relieve the patient of unpleasant symptoms. At the same time, one cannot be guaranteed to be calm about the complete destruction of the pathogenic flora that was the causative agent of the disease. The stated temperature after pneumonia of 37 degrees indicates that the inflammatory process was not completely cured, or the pathological microorganisms were weakened, but not completely eliminated.

It should also be noted that in the case of incorrectly prescribed and administered medical therapy, pathogenic microflora can acquire increased resistance to some pharmacological drugs and chemical compounds, which many drugs are. This result allows parasites, viruses and bacteria to achieve high adaptive abilities. Subfebrile manifestations indicate that the inflammation has become chronic: there is an invisible confrontation between human immunity and the adaptive characteristics of microorganisms.

For example, nature has given bacteria and fungi the ability to transform into a special "L-form", which allows the microorganism to wait out "uncomfortable times". As soon as the human immune system fails, the level of the body's defenses decreases, pathogenic organisms become active and begin to reproduce at an increased rate. If the body begins to receive antibiotics, the bacteria again take refuge in the "L-form". This course of the disease is inherent in the chronic form of pneumonia. It is observed in young patients who have been ill with various colds for a long time. In adults, a chronic process can be provoked by a long-term illness, addiction to nicotine, work in conditions of increased air pollution.

During the course of the pathology, doctors distinguish between three types of temperature indicators observed during pneumonia.

• Subfebrile temperature of the classic form is when the temperature does not exceed 38 ^o C.
• Temperature limits – the figure on the thermometer falls within the range of 38 to 39 ^o C. This picture is observed for one to two days.
• An uncontrolled fever in which the body's thermal indicators exceed the threshold of 39 degrees. And the digital indicators continue to increase.

Croupous pneumonia develops over more than one month. Therefore, against its background, after a period of "imaginary calm", subfebrile temperature with thermometer readings of 37 ° C periodically appears. In case of diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia, the patient undergoes a treatment course in a hospital setting for two to three weeks. During this time, the clinical picture of the disease changes, pathological symptoms disappear, the X-ray no longer shows infiltrative shadows. But, nevertheless, for some time (it is determined by the attending physician) the patient continues to adhere to the treatment protocol in an outpatient or home setting.

Unfortunately, in pulmonology practice there are quite frequent cases when after the end of the course of treatment a person feels normal for some time, and after, for example, three weeks the body temperature rises again, reaching 37 - 38 ^o C. This course of the disease is due to the fact that the body's defenses, against the background of taking antibacterial drugs, begin to produce specific antibodies. In the case of a chronic course of the disease (when the infection is present in the "L-form"), the work of the antibodies lasts for a couple of weeks, while it is not possible to completely suppress the inflammation in the lung tissues and, as a result, subfebrile temperature appears. Doctors have dubbed the residual manifestation of this disease - a temperature tail. This phenomenon indicates a very high probability of relapse of the inflammatory pulmonary process.

In light of the peculiarities of pneumonia, even after the disappearance of infiltrative darkening from the X-ray image, the radiologist (or pulmonologist) recommends that the patient undergo a repeat chest X-ray examination after a month. This is necessary so as not to miss the emergence of new foci of the disease in case of relapse. Some general practitioners consider the temperature tail to be a completely normal consequence of the pathology.

After pneumonia the child has a fever

The so-called temperature tail in small patients is observed quite rarely. This is due to the fact that chronic inflammation of the lung tissue is less typical for babies. As statistics on fatal outcomes associated with lobar pneumonia show, out of five percent of deaths, less than one is due to lobar pneumonia in children. But, nevertheless, a temperature tail can be observed in children. If after pneumonia the child's temperature does not exceed 37 degrees, it may be enough to adjust the diet and drink large volumes of liquid. Since with high immunity, the body is able to independently cope with minor foci of inflammation that can periodically occur in the lung tissue against the background of the chronic course of the pathology.

If a child has a fever after pneumonia, this symptom may indicate that the child's immune system is significantly weakened or that the little person has undergone structural changes affecting the structural components of the respiratory system. Pathological structural transformation of the respiratory tract will further contribute to frequent occurrences of colds and recurrent pneumonia. That is, if the child often suffers from colds or has a temperature slightly above 37 degrees for several days, this should be a signal for parents to have the child thoroughly examined.

The reason for such pain in a child may be a lack of surfactant in his body - an enzymatic component of the alveolar wall, which ensures normal volumes and shape of the lung (acinus). Surfactant maintains the physiologically necessary gas exchange between the red blood cells of the blood plasma and the external environment. In case of failures in gas exchange or anomalies in the structural structure of the acinus, the baby has an increased risk of developing atelectasis, characterized by partial or complete collapse of the entire lung or individual lobes, which develops due to the deflating of small air sacs (alveoli).

There is no need to fight temperature indicators (if they are within the range of 37 – 38 ^o C). With such a clinical picture, all heat and mass exchange processes in the human body occur at an increased speed. A temperature slightly above the norm indicates that the body continues to fight pathogens and, in the case of high immunity, this fight is quite effective. But you should not let such a confrontation take its course. The body needs help and support. To effectively stop the temperature tail, it is worth following some recommendations.

• During the recovery period, you should drink a large amount of various liquids. This can be plain water, fruit drinks, juices, compotes, mousses.
• The patient's diet must include natural vegetables and fruits.
• Follow all recommendations given by your pediatrician.
• Daily walks in the fresh air will be beneficial.
• Regular wet cleaning of living quarters and daily ventilation are required.
• It is necessary to monitor the baby's weight. Both underweight and overweight have a negative effect on the little patient's body.
• Timely and complete therapy of secondary pathology is necessary.

[ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Diagnosis of temperature after pneumonia

If pathological symptoms appear, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. In this case, professional help from an otolaryngologist is necessary. Diagnosis of temperature after pneumonia includes:

• Familiarization with the patient's complaints.
• Examination and assessment of the condition of the nasopharynx.
• Conducting fluorography.
• Clinical analysis of urine and blood.
• X-ray examination.
• Analysis of sputum for microflora, which allows determining the nature of the damaging microflora.
• Checking the patient's body temperature.

Based on these studies, the attending physician is able to obtain a complete clinical picture of the disease, and only then prescribe effective therapy.

[ 9 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ]

Treatment of fever after pneumonia

In order to adequately treat the temperature after pneumonia, it is necessary to know the exact cause of the subfebrile temperature. If after treated pneumonia the X-ray and tests do not show significant changes, then the "playing" temperature may be the body's response to the residual effects of the disease. Therefore, it is not worth interfering with the immune system in this fight against the aggressor. It is advisable to support it with a complete diet rich in vitamins and microelements, as well as plenty of fluids.

If the cause is a disease that has become chronic, then most likely the attending physician will prescribe complex therapy, which includes antibiotics (anti-inflammatory and antibacterial or antiviral drugs - the choice depends on the source of the pathology), as well as supportive therapy drugs.

In this case, you can get by with mild broad-spectrum antibiotics. These can be amoxicillin, cefepime, ticarcillin, cefoperazone, penicillin, ceftriaxone, piperacillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, cefotaxime.

Suprax - the dosage of the drug is selected in such a way that the therapeutic amount of the drug is constantly maintained in the plasma. Initially, adult patients and children over 12 years of age whose body weight has exceeded 50 kg are prescribed capsules orally 0.4 g once a day.

For small patients, the drug in the form of a suspension is more suitable. For infants from six months to one year, the dose of the drug is 2.5 - 4 mg per day. For toddlers from two to six years old, the dosage is 5 ml of suspension per day. For older children (from five to 11 years old), the dosage is from 6 to 10 ml.

The duration of treatment directly depends on the pathology itself and its severity. It can be from a week to ten days. In case of kidney problems, the dosage of the drug can be halved.

Contraindications for the administration of this drug may be hypersensitivity to penicillins and cephalosporins. The drug should be used with particular caution in the case of therapy for elderly people, as well as if the patient has a history of pseudomembranous colitis or chronic renal dysfunction.

Ceftriaxone is prescribed to adolescents over 12 years of age weighing more than 40 kilograms and to adult patients at 1 g per day. If necessary, this amount of the drug can be divided into two injections of half a gram administered every 12 hours. The duration of the course of treatment is from four days to two weeks.

This medicine is well tolerated by the patient's body, rarely causing side effects. But there are situations when the introduction of ceftriaxone can provoke complications that can cause great harm. Such contraindications include:

• Individual intolerance to the components of the drug, including penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems.
• Severe form of kidney and liver dysfunction.
• Pregnancy period (especially the first trimester).
• Time to breastfeed your baby.

Use with caution in cases of intestinal dysbacteriosis and in newborns with hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice).

If the inflammatory process is caused by an atypical infection, such as legionellosis, mycoplasmosis or chlamydia, then more specific antibacterial drugs are used. But broad-spectrum drugs should not be neglected either.

Sumamed is prescribed to small patients in the form of tablets (they must be crushed before use) or as a suspension in the amount of 0.125 g. The drug works most effectively when administered one hour before a meal or two hours after its completion. Older children are prescribed the drug at the rate of 10 mg per one kilogram of the patient's weight, taken once during the day. An adult patient takes 0.5 g of sumamed orally once a day. The duration of the course of treatment is three days.

Contraindications to the use of the drug include hypersensitivity to macrolide antibiotics, as well as severe pathological changes in the functioning of the liver and kidneys.

Clarithromycin is introduced into the treatment protocol for adolescents over 12 years of age and adult patients in dosages from 0.25 to 0.5 g, divided into two doses per day. The duration of treatment is from one to two weeks. The dosage and duration of therapy are prescribed by the attending physician.

If for some reason it is difficult for a patient to administer a medicine orally, it is used in the form of a solution - as intravenous injections. The same type of medicine is used in case of a severe infection. Clarithromycin is prescribed in the amount of 0.5 g per day for two to five days. The patient is then transferred to the tablet form of the drug. The total duration of therapy is ten days.

This medicine is not recommended for patients with hypersensitivity to its components, as well as during the first trimester of pregnancy, lactation and with a history of porphyria.

Oxygen inhalations are not a bad aid in recovery. In case of residual inflammatory processes, general inflammatory drugs, such as paracetamol, are suitable.

It is prescribed to adults and teenagers whose weight exceeds 60 kg, 0.5 g, taken four times during the day. The interval between administrations is four to six hours. The daily dosage should not exceed 4 g. For small patients whose age falls within the range from three months to a year, the amount of the drug is prescribed within the range from 0.06 to 0.12 g, and for infants up to three months of age - 10 mg, calculated per kilogram of the newborn's weight. For babies from one to five years old - 0.12 to 0.25 g, and for children from six to 12 years old - 0.25 - 0.5 g. The drug is administered four times a day with an interval of at least six hours.

Paracetamol should not be prescribed in cases of increased sensitivity of the patient's body, severe blood flow disorders, blood diseases, dysfunction of the kidneys and liver.

In case of severe intoxication of the body, the attending physician introduces into the treatment protocol medications that help maintain the patient’s condition and reduce intoxication: rheopolyglucin, glucose solution.

In case of general intoxication, rheopolyglucin is dripped intravenously. The dose of the administered solution is determined by the attending physician, usually the starting figure falls within the range of 400 to 1000 mg. In especially severe cases, it is allowed to additionally administer up to 500 ml. After removing acute intoxication, the dosage is reduced to 400 ml, which is administered for the next five days.

As a supportive therapy, you should not refuse treatment with folk remedies. You only need to inform your attending physician about it. The doctor, by adjusting the schedule of admission, will make the therapy more effective.

• If the patient's temperature is accompanied by a dry cough, then a good therapeutic result is given by taking decoctions of licorice root, such herbs as coltsfoot, marshmallow, oregano. Pour two tablespoons of the crushed plant with a glass of boiling water and hold for 15 minutes in a water bath, then let it cool. Drink two tablespoons every three hours.
• In case of poor phlegm discharge (if it is thick enough), a decoction or tea prepared from a collection of herbs is suitable: violets, pine buds, plantain leaves and Siberian milkweed.
• Freshly squeezed onion or radish juices have high expectorant properties and can be taken with a small amount of sugar or honey.
• A variety of natural juices are great for boosting the body's defenses.
• Elderberry fruits are also effective. Take four large or five small bunches of flowering elderberry. Combine them with half a liter of vodka and leave to infuse at room temperature for two weeks. Take one tablespoon of the resulting infusion an hour before meals. Three doses must be taken during the day, without missing a single one. You will have to drink the entire half liter of infusion during the therapeutic course.
• To boost immunity, our ancestors took butter with propolis added to it.
• Inhalations using birch buds or eucalyptus leaves are effective.
• Compresses made from honey cakes can significantly reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process.

It is worth reminding once again that it is also necessary to use alternative medicine recipes with caution. In any case, it is worth consulting your doctor first, only with his permission can you introduce auxiliary methods of therapy, otherwise you can only harm your health.

If after completion of treatment the temperature after pneumonia continues to be observed, then you should not brush off the problem and think that it will resolve itself. Subfebrile temperature may be a consequence of the manifestation of residual foci of inflammation and if the body is strong, it will cope on its own. A similar picture can be provoked by a secondary infection, or the transition of an existing pathology into a chronic condition. But only a qualified specialist can answer this question unequivocally. Therefore, in the event of a subfebrile temperature, a consultation with an otolaryngologist or pulmonologist is necessary. If the problem is ignored, a complication may develop that can lead to death.