A PATHOPHYSIOLOGY ON PEDIATRIC PNEUMONIA

HOST: 4-YEAR-OLD WT.

12 KG STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE ENVIRONMENT: mother is
(UNDERNOURISHED) a smoker, lives in a busy
city, air pollution

immunocompromised microorganism enters the nose

host (nasal passages)

LEGEND:
Assigned disease passes to the pharynx, larynx, trachea
Host Pediatric Pneumonia
Environment inflammatory response to
Risk Factors proliferation of microbial
Etiology microorganism enters and affect both pathogens at the alveolar level
Mechanism airway and lung parenchyma
S/S or Lab Findings

Systemic inflammatory
response: Cytokine release
(eg.TNF, IL-1)
Local inflammatory response: neutrophils
recruited to site infection (lobar or interstitial
pattern depending on pathogens at the alveolar
level Respiratory Disruption of
drive hypothalamic
thermoregulation

Irritation of contiguous Accumulation of plasma exudate (LOBAR

structures and/or referred or INTERSTITIAL PATTERN, depending on Tachypnea Fever
pain (mechanism unclear) pathogen) by epithelial cytokine
release

Flushed cheeks
and chills
A
B
 B
A

Lobar Pattern: Interstitial Airways are irritated

Acute Efficiency of
Fluid buildup in Pattern: Fluid and ciliary clearance
abdominal gas
alveoli buildup in spaces fails to keep up with
pain exchange
between alveoli buildup of fluid

Air unable to
Interstitial Crackles,
fill alveoli due Cough
opacity on chest breath sounds
to fluid
X-Ray

Lung
consolidation
on chest X-ray

Lung
compliance

Respiratory
Insufficiency

Secondary Labored
metabolic respiration
acidosis

Tachypnea
Hypoxemia

Respiratory
failure