![]() Blood work may reveal leukocytosis and the sputum gram stain may show accumulation of inflammatory cells without any organism. At least 20-40% of patients develop diarrhea. ![]() Once acquired, the patient may present with altered mental status, cough, fever, and respiratory distress. Individuals at risk for legionella may have diabetes, malignancy, renal or liver failure and may have had recent plumbing done in the home. Places for water stagnates allows for the organism to proliferate. Spread from other humans is rare most cases are due to inhalation of the pathogen from water systems like humidors, whirlpools, respiratory therapy equipment, water faucets, and air conditioners. Several serotypes exist and infection tends to occur in close quarters. Legionella pneumoniae is the most pathogenic of the atypical bacteria that cause lung infection. Death is rare but can occur in patients with comorbidities. The chest x-ray may show a mild infiltrative process. The infection presents with a sore throat, cough and a headache that can last for many weeks or months. chlamydia pneumoniae infection is most common in elderly people. ![]() ![]() However, the incubation period is long and symptoms are usually mild. The organism is acquired after inhalation of contaminated aerosolized droplets. Individuals with preexisting lung disease may develop empyema, pneumothorax or even respiratory distress syndrome.Ĭhlamydia pneumoniae is also a common cause of infection of the lung. Mycoplasma can also cause a variety of extrapulmonary symptoms like erythema nodosum, urticaria, erythema multiforme, aseptic meningitis, Guillain Barre syndrome, and cerebral ataxia. Most cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection are mild and resolve on their own. The cough is often dry and worse at night. Once the organism is acquired, the symptoms may take 4-20 days to appear and include malaise, cough, myalgia and sore throat. The organism is transmitted from person to person and the infection usually spreads slowly. The infection can occur all year round and outbreaks in small communities is common (Eg schools, homes). Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection tends to be more common with advancing age, especially the elderly. However, only about 10% of patients who acquire mycoplasma will develop pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is responsible for the vast majority of atypical respiratory infections. There are a vast number of pathogens that are considered atypical, but the most commonly identified are mycoplasma pneumoniae which are associated with close living conditions like at school and military barracks, legionella from stagnant water sources, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Coxiella brunette, and Francisella tularensis from various mammalian sources. Atypical pneumonia is acquired from various sources. It may be further classified as viral, bacterial, or atypical bacteria based on the suspected pathogen requiring treatment. Pneumonia is acquired when a sufficient volume of a pathogenic organism bypasses the body’s cough and laryngeal reflexes and makes its way into the parenchyma. This can occur from being exposed to large volumes of pathogens in inspired air, increasingly virulent pathogen exposure, aspiration or impaired host defenses. Given the different environments in which one may acquire pneumonia, the diagnosis is often broadly classified into community-acquired or hospital-acquired.
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