Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measlesOpie, Eugene L. (Eugene Lindsay)
History
Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measles
(3) Forty-seven cases in the group studied presented the clinical
picture of bronchopneumonia. The onset of pneumonia in these cases was
in most instances insidious and appeared to occur as a continuation of
the preceding influenza. The temperature, instead of falling to normal
after from three to four days, remained elevated or rose higher, the
respiratory rate began to rise, a moderate cyanosis appeared, the cough
increased, and the sputum became more profuse, usually being
mucopurulent and blood streaked, sometimes mucoid with fresh blood. The
pulse showed little change at first, being only moderately accelerated.
Pleural pain, so characteristic of the onset of lobar pneumonia, was
rarely complained of, but a certain amount of substernal pain was
common, probably due to the severe tracheobronchitis. Physical
examination at this time revealed small areas showing relative dullness,
diminished or nearly absent breath sounds, and fine crepitant râles.
These areas usually appeared first posteriorly over the lower lobes.
The subsequent course of the disease showed the widest variation from
mild cases with limited pulmonary involvement going on to prompt
recovery in four or five days with defervescence by lysis or crisis to
those presenting the picture of a rapidly progressive and coalescing
pneumonia with fatal outcome. In the milder cases the diagnosis of
pneumonia depended in considerable part upon the general symptoms of
continued fever, increased respiratory rate, and slight cyanosis.
Definite pulmonary signs were always present if carefully looked for,
though sometimes not outspoken. Areas of bronchial breathing and
bronchophony often appeared late, sometimes not until the patient was
apparently recovering. In the severe cases cyanosis became intense and
an extreme toxemia dominated the picture. In certain of these cases
there was an intense pulmonary edema. The respiratory rate showed wide
variation, the breathing in some cases being rapid and gasping, in
others comparatively quiet. Progressive involvement of the lungs
occurred with the development of marked dullness, loud bronchial
breathing and bronchophony. Abundant medium and coarse moist râles were
heard throughout the chest, probably due in considerable part to the
extensive bronchitis almost universally present. An active delirium was
not uncommon. Signs of pleural involvement, even in the most severe and
extensive cases, rarely occurred, except in those cases in which a
hemolytic streptococcus infection supervened.
Of the 47 cases in this group, 29 recovered; 14 by crisis, 15 by lysis.
The average duration of illness from the onset of influenza until
recovery from the pneumonia was ten days, the majority of these cases
being relatively mild in character with pneumonia of three to six days’
duration. Empyema with ultimate recovery occurred in 1 of these cases,
Pneumococcus Type II being the causative organism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account