BRONCHOPNEUMONIA

Bronchopneumonia is an acute or chronic inflammation of the lungs, in which

the alveoli and / or interstitial are affected. Pneumonias are the most common
cause of death among infectious diseases.   They take the fifth place in the
statistics of diseases causing death.

Causes of bronchopneumonia

In most cases it occurs because of descends (which is going down) infection of

the bronchi in an acute bronchitis.  Inflammatory foci in different sizes are
formed in the lung parenchym, which contain purulent exudates when there are
bacterial causal. These sections are hardened, greyish in color, they could be
great number or merge between each other (confluent pneumonia).
It usually affects mostly children and elderly people, because it develops due to
the low body resistance and impaired defense function of the respiratory tract.
Bronchopneumonia can also be secondary (complication of some other disease):
• Viral infection (influenza, measles)
• Aspiration of food or vomiting
• Obstruction of bronchus with foreign body, neoplasm and others.
• Inhalation of poisonous gases
• Major surgery
• Severe chronic diseases (tuberculosis), malnutrition
• Hipostatics – long lying after suffering stroke

Symptoms in croupous pneumonia

• The disease often begins after colds and the occurrence of labial herpes.
• Sudden onset with fever and high temperature (about one week, bad general
condition);
• Cough, dyspnea (difficult breathing) with the participation of nostrils in
breathing.
• Brownish-red sputa on the second day with plenty of leucocytes.
• Chest pain when breathing due to the accompanying pleurisy.
• Chest pain when breathing due to the accompanying pleurisy.
• Laboratory data - acceleration of ESR, blood
count - leucocytosis (increased leucocytes),toxic granulations, eosinopenia
(reduction of eosinophils), lymphopenia (reduction of lymphocytes).
• X-ray examination – thick, comparatively sharply outlined large
overshadowing
Symptoms in atypical pneumonia
1. Slow start
2. Headache
3. Muscle pain (myalgia)
4. Little temperature (without fever)
5. Dry irritating cough without expectoration (spitting)
6. Weak auscultatory findings (rales almost missing)
Complications of the bronchopneumonia
• Septic distribution to the pneumonia agents through the blood with the
development of otitis, meningitis, brain abscess, endocarditis.
• Pleura damage – pleurisy, pleural effusion, pleural empyema.
• Recurrent pneumonia, affecting other lung sections.
• Chronic pneumonia
• Cardiovascular disease
• Respiratory deficiency
• Thromboembolic complications due to bed rest
• Acute renal insufficiency in dehydration

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES
Aconite. [Acon]
Probably no fact is more fully established in medicine, in any school, than the
beneficial action of Aconite action of Aconite in pulmonary congestions. It is
the remedy of remedies in the first stage of pneumonia,because it corresponds
more closely to the symptoms usually found in that stage. It should not,
however, be used in this or any disease in the first or any stage unless the
symptoms call for it. The symptoms are these: High fever preceded by a distinct
chill; the pulse is full, hard and tense; a history of exposure may also be taken
into consideration; dry, cold winds. The skin is hot and dry, without moisture
upon it; there is a hard, dry, teasing and painful cough; there may be some
expectoration present, if so it is watery, serous and frothy, may be blood tinged,
but not thick. Thick expectoration indicates that exudation is commencing, and
then Aconite is no longer the remedy. There is pain also with Aconite, which is
poorly borne. With these symptoms there is great restlessness, tossing about,
anxiety and perhaps fear ;of death. It will strengthen confidence in remedies to
see Aconite act in these cases. Veratrum viride in some is similar to Aconite in
some particulars, but it is easily distinguished; there is a full rapid pulse and a
great deal of arterial excitement; the eyes are glistening and there is a red streak
down through the centre of the tongue. It is, perhaps more often indicated at the
commencement of a pneumonia than is Aconite. A great indication for Aconite
in pulmonary congestions is suddenness ;of onset, and especially so if it occurs
in young and plethoric persons who are full of life and vigor; for it is per-
eminently in such patients that congestions, when appearing at all, appear
suddenly. Gelsemium lacks the suddenness ;of Aconite. Here apathy is marked,
and the two drugs need never be confounded.

Ferrum phosphoricum. [Ferr-p] 

This, like Aconite, is a remedy for the first stage before exudation takes place,
and, ,like Aconite, if there be any expectoration it is thin, watery and blood
streaked. It is a useful remedy for violent congestions of the lungs, whether
appearing at the onset of the diseases or during its course, which would show
that the inflammatory action was extending; it thus corresponds to what are
termed secondary pneumonias, especially in the aged and debilitated. There is
high fever, oppressed and hurried breathing, and bloody expectoration, very
little thirst; there are extensive rales, and perhaps less of that extreme
restlessness and anxiety that characterizes Aconite. This remedy, with kali
muriaticum, forms the Schuesslerian treatment of this disease.

Iodine. [Iod] 
this remedy is one both for the first and second stage of pneumonia, especially
for the croupous form. It has high fever and restlessness like aconite, and there
is ad tendency to rapid extension of the hepatization. There is a decided cough
and great difficulty in breathing, as if the chest would not expand; the sputum is
blood streaked. Iodine may also be a remedy in the later stages when resolution
does not progress, the lung breaking down with hectic and suppurative
symptoms. Dr. Kafka, our celebrated German confrere, prescribed drop doses of
Iodine in the 1st,2d or 3d dilution every hour or so as soon as physical signs of
pneumonia showed themselves, and claimed that it would arrest the process of
hepatization within twenty-four hours. He considered that Aconite was entirely
unnecessary in the treatment of pneumonia. It is also favorably spoken of by
Prof. T. F. Allen.

Veratrum viride. [Verat] 

In violent congestions about the chest preceding pneumonia Veratrum viride
may be the remedy, and thus it is seem that its use is more in the beginning of
the disease, and especially where there is great arterial excitement,
dyspnoea,chest oppdression and stomach symptoms of nausea and vomiting; the
engorgement is profound, and here it greatly resembles Sanguinaria; but it
differs from that drug, in that it is of ;little use after hepatization has taken
place. There is high fever, violent action of the heart, the pulse is full, hard and
rapid, and the tongue has a red streak down the center; this latter symptom is a
characteristic keynote of the drug. The air cells at the bottom of the lobes are
filling up with frothy mucus. the pulse will indicate, it being full and hard. Hard,
quick and small indicates Aconite. Strike out anxiety and alarm and insert an
ugly delirium with a deeply flushed, bloated face and headache and you have
veratrum viride. One must beware not to encourage cardiac depression with this
remedy.

Bryonia [Bry]
is the remedy for pneumonia; it furnishes a better pathological picture of the
disease than any other, and it comes in after Aconite, Ferrum phosphoricum and
Veratrum viride. The fever continues, but the skin is not as hot and the patient
not as restless as in Aconite. the cough of Bryonia is looser and more moist than
that of Aconite, and there are usually sharp stitching pleuritic pains,the cough of
Bryonia is also hard and dry at times and the sputum is scanty and rust colored,
so typical of pneumonia. There may be circumscribed redness of the cheeks,
slight delirium and apathy; the tongue will most likely be dry, and the patient
will most likely be dry,l and the patient will want to keep perfectly quiet. It is a
right-sided remedy and attacks the parenchyma of the lung, and is perhaps more
strongly indicated in the croupous form of pneumonia. The patient dreads to
cough and holds his breath to prevent it on account of the pain it causes; it
seems as though the chest walls would fly to pieces. The pains in the chest,
besides being worse by motion and breathing, are relieved by lying on the right
o;r painful side, be cause this lessens the motions ;of that side. Coughs which
hurt distant parts of the body call for Bryonia. Phosphorus most commonly
follows Bryonia in pneumonia, and is complementary. In pneumonias
complicated by pleurisy Bryonia is the remedy, par excellence. Halbert believes
that Cantharis relieves the painful features of the early development of the
exudate better than any other remedy, a hint which comes from Dr.Jousset, who
used the remedy extensively.