7 Nursing Diagnosis for Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both of the lungs. Many germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia. You can also get pneumonia by inhaling a liquid or chemical. People most at risk are older than 65 or younger than 2 years of age, or already have health problems.
Typical symptoms are cough, fever, sweats, shivers, being off your food and feeling generally unwell. Headaches and aches and pains are common. You usually make more sputum. This may become yellow/green coloured and is sometimes bloodstained.
You may become breathless, breathe fast and develop a tight chest. A sharp pain in the side of the chest may develop if the infection involves the pleura. (This is the membrane between the lung and the chest wall.) A doctor may hear crackles in the chest when listening with a stethoscope.
The following people have a higher risk of developing pneumonia:
- babies and very young children
- elderly people
- people who smoke
- people with other health conditions
- people with a weakened immune system
- another lung condition, such as asthma or cystic fibrosis
- a heart condition
- a kidney or liver condition
- a lowered immune system
- a recent illness, such as flu
- treatment for cancer, such as chemotherapy
- medicines that weaken the immune system after an organ transplant
- HIV or AIDS
Nursing Diagnosis for Pneumonia
1. Ineffective Airway Clearance
2. Impaired Gas Exchange
3. Risk for Deficient Fluid Volume
4. Imbalanced Nutrition
5. Acute Pain
6. Activity Intolerance
7. Risk for Infection
