What happens if pneumonia doesnt clear up

I had sputum samples tested one came back with flu virus the other 2 came back not active even though the sputum was very discoloured. Keep a copy of all the ABs you have had, if one week course or more name of AB etc. I have been ill for the best part of this year, and my lungs are still not as good as they were before I became ill. I went from flu, to viral bronchitis, to flu again then pneumonia it was just awful the mucus needs testing if you are bringing a lot up and it is best to get it off your chest literally.

Ask the doc for a sputum pot with test form so that you can get the sample to the hospital quickly, check if you can take this to the path lab yourself or perhaps you can arrange for someone to take if for you. My local hospital said its ok to take it to the GP surgery so they have it soonest before mid day. But the BLF helpline nurse told me for bronchiectasis for instance that some bugs will die if they are not tested soon enough.

Drink plenty of water and eat what you can, fresh fruit and veg and fresh salmon and chicken. Soup and dry crackers anything to keep the body ticking over. I hope you can get on top of any infections quickly and that you are able to move around some and eat some. Hopefully doing so you can avoid any further complications. Also the frequent urination day or night can be the result of high blood glucose, have you had the full blood count done, blood glucose check, cholesterol etc?

Blood pressure. All these things need checking out. Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them. Hope someon can help!!! Helpful - 0.

Hi, I am 55 and have had this three times this year alone, I also have asthma. I think it was just so bad for me that it had my system wore down.

I had it form Jan. I was on advair all this time and gained 16 lbs, I said no more advair. Its to hard at my age to get it off! It seem to help at first and then it stoped helping for some reason. No reason to take it if it dosent work any more. Maybe thats the thing, after awhile you have to change things.

All I know Is I thought it would never clear up. I got sick last week with a cold and I thought not again, but it cleared up in 8 days. I too was on Levaquin three times, I didnt take it this time, my body was fighting this time,That was a good thing. I prayed so hard it go away and it did after three months of it! My age has something to do with it I am sure! I just had to have a 3 cin. They say its precancerous and I might have to have part of my colon taken out.

I am on medicade,so we will see how it goes! Hope all works out for you! Keep the faith and it some how will all work out! Ps , Isa. I'm living with the same things right now. Started having terrible asthma trouble early June.

Have been to the E. X-rays show no pneumonias. First trip I was put on a 5 day round of prednisone. It didn't help. Went back in a week later. Was given a shot of something to relax the muscles around and in my lungs. Put on more prednisone, and azithromax, and albuterol. I do neb treatments and have an inhaler. I also take q-var inhaler daily. The smokey air in Northern California has been bad, and I've tried to stay indoors.

I'm 46 yrs old, and feel like an invalid. I woke up this morning, and couldn't even make it to the bathroom without struggling to breathe. My med treatments ended almost 2 weeks ago, and I felt good for about 2 days. It's all back, and I'm starting to freak out that I have lung cancer, or emphysema or something. As well, concentrations of procalcitonin fall rapidly during recovery from acute bacterial infections. This points to a potential adjunctive role for procalcitonin in diagnosing and managing patients with suspected systemic infections, and to help guide antibiotic prescribing practices.

Secretion of procalcitonin can occur for various reasons, depending on whether it is stimulated by the thyroid or other organs, the case authors note. Thyroid-related stimuli for C-cell expression of procalcitonin include hypercalcemia, glucagon, and gastrin. Non-thyroid mechanisms of procalcitonin expression include bacterial endotoxins, and inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin IL -1, IL-2, and IL The clinicians note that the mechanism behind this patient's elevated procalcitonin was not clear, and explained that there are five possible explanations for this that have been suggested in the literature:.

Reports of patients with AEP have noted both normal and elevated procalcitonin levels, the case authors said, raising the possibility of differing pathophysiology between cases of AEP. The authors cited a recent meta-analysis suggesting that its measurement in acute respiratory infections reduces antibiotic exposure, side effects, and improves survival. However, the authors urge caution in interpretation of test results, noting that many conditions can cause elevated procalcitonin.

CEP is typically diagnosed by a triad of clinical symptoms including pulmonary symptoms, eosinophilia, and characteristic radiographic abnormalities. The case authors noted that despite their patient's female gender and her age -- features associated with an increased risk of CEP -- her illness fulfilled all four criteria needed to make a diagnosis of AEP:.

The authors acknowledged the possibility that their patient's procalcitonin elevation might be due to an infectious process, and her clinical improvement could be related to her brief 2. Nevertheless, she subsequently deteriorated to the point of requiring mechanical ventilation, and antibiotics were discontinued. Her rapid improvement after initiating treatment with corticosteroids is a hallmark of AEP. As well, the case authors cited an influential paper suggesting that AEP can be distinguished from CEP by its rapid onset, greater severity, and increased likelihood of respiratory failure, all of which apply to this patient.

As a rare condition that closely resembles other more common diseases, particularly bacterial pneumonia, AEP may be difficult for physicians to recognize, the case authors wrote, emphasizing that it is vital to realize that elevated procalcitonin levels do not rule out AEP.

A prompt diagnosis is important, since treatment of AEP differs from that of bacterial pneumonia, and left untreated, patients may experience a precipitous decline or even death. Assessment of procalcitonin in patients with AEP will help confirm whether the relationship is causal.

Kate Kneisel is a freelance medical journalist based in Belleville, Ontario.