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You can also live without a lung. An example is the new Pope Francis. At the age of 20, the Argentine church leader was surgically deprived of a part of one lung. It was a complication of a serious lung disease. What diseases can force doctors to have the lung removed?
One of the complications of pneumonia may beabscess . Nowadays, treatment is mainly done with the use of antibiotics. However, in some casessurgical treatmentis necessary. Chronic abscess may cause hemorrhage or metastasis.
What is a lung abscess?
Purulent pneumonia is a disease of the respiratory system. Today it is quite a rare disease, because the formation of abscesses is prevented by extensive antibiotic therapy. However, it is still a serious disease, causing very serious complications, and in special cases causing the patient's death. Decades ago, a lung abscess was treated with vaccines, serum and surgery.
What causes the disease?
The lung abscess may have been triggered by the descent of pneumonia, the presence of a foreign body in the lungs (in young children), or lung cancer. Currently, only staphylococcal and klebsiellic pneumonia is the cause of the abscess. A fragment of the lung is then destroyed and pus appears in the cavity. Such abscesses may appear singly or in groups.
Symptoms of lung abscess:
- cough with the production of purulent discharge, in which fragments of lung tissue can be found;
- fever (recurrent, prolonged);
- OB increase;
- leukocytosis;
- bronchial murmurs;
- chills.
Diagnosis of lung abscess
With the current medical advancement, a lung abscess is diagnosed with bronchoscopy. A medical interview confirming the above-mentioned symptoms, chest X-ray and computed tomography is also necessary.
Surgical treatment of lung abscess
Treatment depends on the severity of the disease. Usually, antibiotic therapy (up to 6 weeks) or postural drainage (this is the appropriate body position to facilitate the removal of secretions from the lungs) is used. Surgical treatment of a lung abscess is necessary when the abscess walls are too thick and do not leakantibiotic substances. Another reason is abscesses that have reached a diameter of more than 6 centimeters. An indication for surgical treatment is also a situation when an abscess is caused by a foreign body getting into internal organs.
Surgical treatment covers 5-10% of cases.