Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia. Several different types of bacteria can cause pneumonia, including streptococcus pneumoniae, legionella pneumophila, mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydia pneumoniae, and haemophilus influenzae.
The different viruses that can cause pneumonia include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), some common cold and flu viruses, and SARS-CoV-2. Fungal pneumonia is more common in people who have chronic health problems or weakened immune systems. Some of the types include pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and cryptococcus.
Pneumonia can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. It is most serious for infants and young children, people older than age 65, and people with health problems or weakened immune systems.
The symptoms of pneumonia can range from mild to severe and include fever, chills, cough, usually with phlegm, shortness of breath, chest pain when you breathe or cough, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The symptoms can vary for different groups. Newborns and infants may not show any signs of the infection. Others may vomit and have a fever and cough. They might seem sick, with no energy, or be restless. Older adults and people who have serious illnesses or weak immune systems may have fewer and milder symptoms. They may even have a lower than normal temperature. Older adults who have pneumonia sometimes have sudden changes in mental awareness.
Treatment for pneumonia involves curing the infection and preventing complications. People who have community-acquired pneumonia usually can be treated at home with medication. Although most symptoms ease in a few days or weeks, the feeling of tiredness can persist for a month or more.
Specific treatments depend on the type and severity of your pneumonia, your age and your overall health. The options include antibiotics, cough medicine, and fever reducers. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial pneumonia. It may take time to identify the type of bacteria causing your pneumonia and to choose the best antibiotic to treat it. If your symptoms don’t improve, your doctor may recommend a different antibiotic. Cough medicine may be used to calm your cough so that you can rest. Because coughing helps loosen and move fluid from your lungs, it’s a good idea not to eliminate your cough completely. In addition, you should know that very few studies have looked at whether over-the-counter cough medicines lessen coughing caused by pneumonia. Fever reducers may be used as needed for fever and discomfort. These include drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 codes for pneumonia:
| ICD-10 Chapter | Codes | Code Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A01.03 | Typhoid pneumonia |
| 1 | A37.01 | Whooping cough due to Bordetella pertussis with pneumonia |
| 1 | A37.11 | Whooping cough due to Bordetella parapertussis with pneumonia |
| 1 | A37.81 | Whooping cough due to other Bordetella species with pneumonia |
| 1 | A37.91 | Whooping cough, unspecified species with pneumonia |
| 1 | A54.84 | Gonococcal pneumonia |
| 1 | B01.2 | Varicella pneumonia |
| 1 | B05.2 | Measles complicated by pneumonia |
| 10 | J09.X1 | Influenza due to identified novel influenza A virus with pneumonia |
| 10 | J11.00 | Influenza due to unidentified influenza virus with unspecified type of pneumonia |
| 10 | J11.08 | Influenza due to unidentified influenza virus with specified pneumonia |
| 10 | J12.0 | Adenoviral pneumonia |
| 10 | J12.1 | Respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia |
| 10 | J12.2 | Parainfluenza virus pneumonia |
| 10 | J12.3 | Human metapneumovirus pneumonia |
| 10 | J12.81 | Pneumonia due to SARS-associated coronavirus |
| 10 | J12.89 | Other viral pneumonia (e.g. COVID-19) |
| 10 | J12.9 | Viral pneumonia, unspecified |
| 10 | J13 | Pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae |
| 10 | J14 | Pneumonia due to Hemophilus influenzae |
| 10 | J15.0 | Pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae |
| 10 | J15.1 | Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas |
| 10 | J15.20 | Pneumonia due to staphylococcus unspecified |
| 10 | J15.211 | Pneumonia due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus |
| 10 | J15.212 | Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
| 10 | J15.29 | Pneumonia due to other staphylococcus |
| 10 | J15.3 | Pneumonia due to streptococcus, group B |
| 10 | J15.4 | Pneumonia due to other streptococci |
| 10 | J15.5 | Pneumonia due to Escherichia coli |
| 10 | J15.6 | Pneumonia due to other Gram-negative bacteria |
| 10 | J15.7 | Pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae |
| 10 | J15.8 | Pneumonia due to other specified bacteria |
| 10 | J15.9 | Unspecified bacterial pneumonia |
| 10 | J16.0 | Chlamydial pneumonia |
| 10 | J16.8 | Pneumonia due to other specified infectious organisms |
| 10 | J17 | Pneumonia in diseases classified elsewhere |
| 10 | J18.0 | Bronchopneumonia, unspecified organism |
| 10 | J18.1 | Lobar pneumonia, unspecified organism |
| 10 | J18.2 | Hypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organism |
| 10 | J18.8 | Other pneumonia, unspecified organism |
| 10 | J18.9 | Pneumonia, unspecified organism |
| 10 | J84.111 | Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, not otherwise specified |
| 10 | J84.114 | Acute interstitial pneumonitis |
| 10 | J84.116 | Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia |
| 10 | J84.2 | Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia |
| 10 | J85.1 | Abscess of lung with pneumonia |
| 10 | J95.851 | Ventilator-associated pneumonia |
| 16 | P23.0 | Congenital pneumonia due to viral agent |
| 16 | P23.1 | Congenital pneumonia due to Chlamydia |
| 16 | P23.2 | Congenital pneumonia due to staphylococcus |
| 16 | P23.3 | Congenital pneumonia due to streptococcus, group B |
| 16 | P23.4 | Congenital pneumonia due to Escherichia coli |
| 16 | P23.5 | Congenital pneumonia due to Pseudomonas |
| 16 | P23.6 | Congenital pneumonia due to other bacterial agents |
| 16 | P23.8 | Congenital pneumonia due to other organisms |
| 16 | P23.9 | Congenital pneumonia, unspecified |
| 21 | Z87.01 | Personal history of pneumonia (recurrent) |
Author: Tonoya Ahmed