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Chest infection
(pneumonia)
is
common amongst
old
people
- their
physiological and biochemical
f
unctions
are deteriorating; immunity
is
low; lung
function
and
capacity are
decreasing;
the strength
of
their
cough for phlegm
clearance
is
also diminishing.
Moreo-
ver,
the coordination
of
their
swallow-
ing
mechanism
is
also getting
less
pre-cise and choking of food into the
lungs
is
more
likely.
The clinical presen-
tation of pneumonia in old people
is
so
atypi-cal that they may be
misdiag-
nosed. Bronchitis is
the
commonest
chest in{ection.
As
there
may
also
be
multiple syndromes and lack
of
compensatory power,
multi-organ
failure
may ensue-at
present,
pneumonia is
an
important cause of
death
in
old
people. ln
some
patients,
there may
be
sudden worsen-ing
of
the
condition within
1-2 days. Treatment
should be
prompt; employ-ing the
minimal effective
dose of
medi-cation.
lf
necessary, effective
antibiot-ics
and
sputum suction, steam
inhala{ion,
intravenousfluids as well as ad-equate
nursing care are
also
required.
With
a
progressively
ageing
population, such
problems will
be
encountered
more
and
more often.
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