Staph Pneumonia Symptoms
Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that can be caused by either bacteria or viruses. Staph pneumonia is a specific type of pneumonia caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria--staph, for short. A person with pneumonia is extremely ill and requires immediate medical care to alleviate the symptoms and eliminate the staph infection from the body.
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High Fever
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The most common symptom of most pneumonia, including staph pneumonia, is a high fever. A patient may shiver or shake from periodic chills as the body attempts to cool itself.
Chest Pain
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The congested lungs cause chest pain, which may even be felt in the back. Coughing makes the pain feel worse.
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Coughing
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The coughing related to staph pneumonia will worsen as the disease progresses. Sputum is likely to show a green tinge rather than clear or white.
Breathing Problems
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Lung congestion and chest pain may make it difficult for a pneumonia patient to breathe. Both the breathing and pulse rates can become quicker.
Clammy or Off -Color Skin
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The skin can feel clammy or the fever will make it especially sensitive or painful to the touch. In addition, the pneumonia can affect the ability of the lungs to fully oxygenate the blood to keep it bright red, so the skin may take on a bluish tone.
Verifying Lung Involvement
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To verify pneumonia, a physician uses a stethoscope to listen to the patient's lungs. If breathing is labored or rasping, an X-ray can be ordered that will verify the diagnosis.
Resistance to Antibiotics
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One form of staph infection is called MRSA, which is short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Normal bacteria-killing antibiotics are not able to fight MRSA, making it extremely dangerous and often fatal. Most such resistant staph infections occur in health-care facilities, but they also occur within the community at large. This strain of staph is thought to have resulted from the wide use of antibiotics, which enabled the staph to adapt and thereby become resistant to them.
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