Diagnosis and treatment of severe pneumonia caused by influenza A virus

The article was consulted with Specialist Doctor I Huynh Kim Long - Emergency Resuscitation Doctor - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Influenza A virus is a common cause of pneumonia in adults. The flu virus invades the lungs and causes the lungs to swell, blocking the flow of oxygen. Many cases of viral pneumonia clear up on their own within a few weeks, but there are severe cases that are life-threatening.

Severe influenza A virus pneumonia is a lung infection caused by a virus. The most common cause is influenza A , but infected people can also get pneumonia due to many other causes such as bacteria and fungi.
Influenza A viruses usually attach to the upper part of the respiratory system, but illness begins when they travel down the lungs of an infected person. Then, the alveoli in the lungs become infected and inflamed, filling up with fluid.
Viral pneumonia can be serious and sometimes fatal. The virus enters the lungs and multiplies; however, most patients have no signs of fluid-filled lung tissue.
This pneumonia is most severe in people with pre-existing heart or lung disease, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, etc. Viral pneumonia can be complicated as bacteria continue to invade after the virus has caused pneumonia, with typical symptoms of bacterial pneumonia.

Severe influenza A virus pneumonia is defined as severe lung damage caused by influenza A virus with rapid disease progression.

Symptoms of severe viral pneumonia are as follows:
Fever At first dry cough, then cough with yellow or green sputum Difficulty breathing Tremors Chills Muscle pain Fatigue Fatigue Muscle weakness Loss of appetite Chest pain severe or sharp pain, especially when coughing or taking deep breaths Heavy sweating Rapid breathing and rapid heartbeat Blue lips and fingernails

Viral pneumonia presents differently in each age group. Young children with viral pneumonia tend to have mild symptoms at first but gradually worsen. Children with viral pneumonia may wheeze and have bluish-blue skin and lips due to lack of oxygen. Adults over 65 years of age may experience unusually low body temperature, confusion, and dizziness.

Viral pneumonia can affect anyone, because the influenza A virus is highly contagious. However, the patient has a higher risk of viral pneumonia if the following factors are present:
People over 65; Children 2 years and under; Live in a crowded environment such as a nursing home, prison, or dormitory; People working in hospitals or nursing homes; Smoker; People with certain chronic medical conditions such as heart, respiratory or autoimmune diseases; People with vulnerable immune systems, such as people with cancer or HIV infection ; Newly recovered from viral infection.

To diagnose severe pneumonia caused by influenza A virus, the doctor first does a physical exam and asks the patient about current symptoms. The doctor will then listen to the patient's lungs with a stethoscope to detect sounds caused by damage in the lungs. But if your doctor isn't sure, you may need a chest X-ray.
In addition, the patient needs to perform some tests such as:
Measure the oxygen concentration in the blood; Sputum test; CT scan to take a closer look at lung lesions; Culture of pleural fluid; Bronchoscopy; Nose swab test to check whether the causative agent is influenza A virus or not; Complete blood count (CBC) to detect inflammation; Blood culture.

When treating severe pneumonia caused by influenza A virus, the doctor will not prescribe antibiotics in case of viral pneumonia, because antibiotics do not kill the virus. Usually, to treat viral pneumonia, doctors will use antiviral drugs, pain relievers and fever reducers.
Due to severe pneumonia caused by influenza A virus, it is imperative that the patient be treated in a hospital. Depending on the patient's condition, the doctor may perform a number of additional treatments as follows:
Invasive or non-invasive oxygen therapy Antibiotic treatment if secondary infection is present. intravenous line to deliver medication into the body Place a central venous catheter for fluid resuscitation

Influenza A virus is a common cause of pneumonia in adults. Many cases of viral pneumonia clear up on their own within a few weeks, but there are severe cases that are life-threatening. Therefore, patients with suspicious symptoms should register for a specialist examination for timely examination and treatment advice
Vinmec International General Hospital has a modern test system that can quickly test, PCR test for quick identification pathogens. Combined with modern diagnostic tools such as CT 640 can detect lung lesions early to quickly diagnose and treat. In addition, the team of emergency doctors and nurses at the Emergency Department are intensively and professionally trained, able to receive and urgently handle severe cases of patients. Continue to coordinate monitoring and treatment in the ICU with modern machines such as: PiCCO invasive hemodynamic probe, ECMO (artificial heart-lung) machine, Prismaflex continuous dialysis machine, oxygen ventilator high current HFNC, ventilator GE Carescape R860, ...