What injections and antibiotics are prescribed for pneumonia?

Principles of treatment of pneumonia

Pneumonia is a fairly serious disease that can lead to negative consequences, including death. Pneumonia is especially severe in elderly patients and children.

The treatment of the disease uses an integrated approach, but the main drugs are antibiotics. The choice of antibacterial agent depends on:

• general well-being of the patient;
• age characteristics;
• severity of the disease;
• diagnostic results obtained;
• presence of intolerance to antibiotics.

To treat pneumonia, an antimicrobial drug with a broad spectrum of action is most often prescribed, which can be used even without identifying the causative agent of the disease.

If there are signs of atypical pneumonia, two or more medications should be used. Severe pathology also requires the use of inhaled oxygen. In addition, the patient may be prescribed antipyretics, expectorants, mucolytics and bronchodilators.

In some cases, it is permissible to replace the prescribed antibiotic in injections with another one. Most often this happens for the following reasons:

• if there is no positive dynamics within three days after the start of therapy;
• if serious negative reactions are observed that threaten the health and life of the patient.

Injections for pneumonia in adults and children do not show the desired result in the following cases:

• if the patient resorts to self-medication and selects the wrong drug;
• if bacteria are resistant to the effects of an antibacterial agent. In such a situation, a change in medication is required;
• if the wrong dosage of the medication is prescribed;
• with frequent changes of antibiotics.

The injections must be given within 10 days . All powdered products should be diluted immediately before use with saline, Novocaine, Lidocaine or injection water according to the instructions (most often for 1 g of powder - 1 ml of liquid). Injections are made with a disposable syringe, after pre-treating the skin with an antiseptic.

Types of injections for pneumonia

Prescribed injections for bronchitis can be of two types:

• bacteriostatic action,
• bactericidal action.

Bactericidal antibiotics

The bactericidal effect of the drug is expressed in the fact that after it the death of pathogenic bacteria occurs. Treatment with antibiotics with this effect is indicated for general weakening of the patient, for severe illnesses - sepsis, endocarditis and others, in cases where the body is not able to fight the infection itself.

Drugs with bactericidal action include: penicillins, neomycin, streptomycin, polymyxin, vancomycin, kanamycin.

Bacteriostatic antibiotics

When exposed to this type of drug, microorganisms are not completely destroyed, only their growth and reproduction slows down. If you stop taking the antibiotic, the bacteria may grow again. Most often, these medications are used in combination with increasing the body’s protective functions, thereby achieving complete recovery of the patient.

How is pneumonia treated?

The drug is prescribed depending on the identified pathogen and type of inflammation. Some drugs act predominantly on one type of bacteria, while other antibiotics have a wide range of therapeutic activity and can be used against any type of bacteria:

• If the pathogen belongs to the group of pneumococci, medications from the penicillin series are used. If there is hypersensitivity or the emergence of resistance to an antibiotic, they can be replaced with a drug from the group of macrolides and cephalosporins.
• If pneumonia occurs when mycoplasmas and chlamydia enter the body, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides are used.
• If the disease has developed as a result of E. coli infection, cephalosporin antibiotics are prescribed in injections.
• For community-acquired pneumonia, macrolides (Azithromycin, Clarithromycin), penicillins (Ampicillin, Amoxicillin), fluoroquinolones (Gemifloxacin, Levofloxacin) are used. In case of severe disease, Clarithromycin and Cefotaxime are additionally used.
• The hospital form of pneumonia requires injections of cephalosporins, tetracyclines, and Vancomycin. In addition, a combination of Gentamicin and Ceftriaxone can be used.

If the disease is severe, intravenous administration of penicillin medications is used during the first two days. After this, they switch to intramuscular injections.

Drugs from the macrolide group are most often injected into the muscle. Substances of this series effectively suppress the vital activity of staphylococcal, streptococcal and pneumococcal microbes, and are able to continue their therapeutic effect after completion of the course of treatment.

Medicines from the cephalosporin series have low toxicity, which is why they are used both in the muscle and in the vein. They can become a complete replacement for penicillins if the patient has hypersensitivity.

In a hospital setting, intravenous injections of aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones are used. Most often they are prescribed without identifying the causative agent. Medicines can be administered individually or in combination.

Other injections

Other injections include:

1. Injections based on aloe extract. This remedy is quite popular for pneumonia. It has a wide spectrum of action. It has an antibacterial, tonic and restorative effect on the body. Thanks to this drug, metabolic processes and adaptation of the body are improved. Protective functions that were reduced by the pathological action of microorganisms are also increased. This remedy makes sense to use for mild to moderate severity of the disease. In advanced stages of the inflammatory process, there is no need to expect a clear effect from it.
2. Hot prick. In addition to generally accepted antibiotics, antibacterial “hot injections” based on sodium chloride are often used. Administration occurs intravenously. The name comes from the patient’s sensations when the medicine is injected. Recovery occurs quite quickly, the body is restored and saturated with useful substances. This remedy is anti-inflammatory. It is important that the injection is carried out by a specialist, since this injection often causes side effects. Contraindications include pregnancy and heart disease.

Basic drugs for injection

In the treatment of pneumonia, some drugs are used exclusively as injections. These antibiotics are considered quite powerful and can cause negative consequences, including anaphylaxis and suffocation. That is why before prescribing it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of each patient.

When a diagnosis of pneumonia is made, the patient must be hospitalized. This is especially true for children under three years of age and elderly people over 70 years of age.

Injections for pneumonia are carried out using the following means:

• Ceftriaxone. The antimicrobial medication is produced in powder form, from which a solution is prepared. It is used intramuscularly, has a rapid effect and dissolves well in the body. Sometimes applied into a vein. The medicine is usually easily tolerated by patients and rarely leads to side effects (nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions). Not used during pregnancy and for severe liver pathologies.
• Benzylpenicillin is an effective drug that can quickly suppress inflammation in the lung tissue. It has a wide range of therapeutic activity and is produced in the form of a powder, which is diluted with water. Contraindicated for therapy in pregnant women. Improper use of the medication can cause negative consequences - vomiting, headaches, allergies.
• Amoxicillin is an antibiotic with a wide spectrum of effects that can have a destructive effect on the protein of pathogenic microbes, causing their death. Sold in the form of tablets, capsules, and powder for injection. Prohibited during pregnancy, gastrointestinal pathologies, liver function disorders. Injections for pneumonia using Amoxicillin are given into the muscle; the dosage is determined individually by the attending physician.
• Azithromycin is a drug available in various dosage forms, including powder. The substance effectively suppresses the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, which leads to loss of their viability. This drug is injected into a vein. Not used for liver and kidney diseases.

The listed remedies are quite difficult for the body, which is why their positive effect is achieved. Therapy must be carried out with extreme caution if the patient has diseases of other organs.

For mild to moderate pneumonia, specialists prescribe the substances Amoxicillin and Augmentin, which effectively act on pathogenic flora and suppress the proliferation of infection provocateurs. If these drugs are intolerant, alternative medications are used, such as Hemomycin, Azitral, Sumamed, which are administered intravenously.

For the treatment of typical pneumonia, injections with Cefotaxime, which is active against gram-negative microbes, as well as Ceftriaxone, a universal medicine that suppresses both gram-negative and gram-positive microorganisms, are best suited.

Advanced forms of pneumonia require the use of the following remedies:

• Meropenem. Medicine for intravenous administration. Not used for serious disorders of the digestive tract, as well as in the presence of intolerance to the main substance. Most often it does not provoke negative consequences, but sometimes skin rashes and swelling are observed after injections.
• Ceftazidime. Used if the causative agent of pneumonia cannot be identified. The medicine has bactericidal properties. It is administered intravenously. Failure to comply with the dosage can cause nausea, headaches, and skin rashes.

Indications for injections

The need for injections in the treatment of pneumonia is based on the fact that they are effective in treating severe diseases, their action is faster and there are fewer side effects on the patient’s body, since the medication does not pass through the digestive tract. It is possible to eliminate the inflammatory process and stop the growth of the bacterial environment with the help of modern antibacterial drugs.

The drugs are administered intramuscularly. This should happen in an inpatient setting or on an outpatient basis, but by qualified medical personnel.

Prescribing such medications is possible only after a medical examination and diagnosis of pneumonia in the patient.

Indications for the use of antibiotics by injection are:

• severe or moderate condition of the patient,
• persistently high temperature that does not subside under the influence of antipyretics,
• lack of effect after therapy with antibiotics in tablet form,
• separation of purulent sputum.

Drug selection criteria

The choice of drug occurs only after a complete examination, diagnosis and identification of the causes of pulmonary pathology. When prescribing an antibiotic, the doctor takes into account the following factors:

• severity of the disease and its course;
• patient's well-being;
• the presence of concomitant diseases and complications;
• individual characteristics of the patient.

Also, to determine the drug, it is necessary to conduct a sputum analysis for bacteriological culture. In this way, the sensitivity of the pathological bacteria that caused the disease to a particular antibiotic will be known. This will make it possible to prescribe more effective treatment. However, this study takes several days, so the doctor prescribes a broad-spectrum antibiotic so as not to waste time.

How to treat the disease?

To get rid of pneumonia as quickly as possible, you must follow all the doctor’s recommendations. The complex of therapy includes taking medications, as well as giving injections. The action of the medications taken is aimed at eliminating the activity of the pathogen that caused the disease. This is how substances are used that eliminate symptoms.

Antibiotics should only be prescribed to the patient by the attending physician.

To quickly get rid of the disease, adults are prescribed antibiotics. Only they can cope with pneumonia.

Antibacterial drugs can be of the following types:

1. Bactericidal. The action is aimed at eliminating pathogenic microorganisms. This group includes: simple and protective penicillins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides.
2. Bacteriostatic. Used to suppress the activity and spread of infection. Bacteria that are already in the lung tissue at the time of treatment with these drugs are not killed by them. The death of bacteria and viruses occurs due to the struggle of the patient’s body. Drugs in this group include: lincomycin, microlides, tetracycline, clindamycin, levomycin.

What do you inject for pneumonia?

Drug therapy for pneumonia includes the prescription of drugs that act directly on the pathogen, as well as a complex of pathogenetic and symptomatic agents designed to reduce and neutralize the clinical manifestations of the disease. Here we will look at the main medications prescribed for pneumonia orally (orally in the form of tablets, drops, syrups) and by injection (injections, intramuscular and intravenous injections).

Drugs used in injection form

Symptomatic and pathogenetic therapy for inflammation of pulmonary tissues includes, in addition to the antibacterial group of pharmacological drugs, also other drugs that can be administered by injection. However, drugs that directly relate to cough are not used in the form of injections; more often they are introduced into the body by inhalation or orally.

These injectable drugs include the following:

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, otherwise known as NSAIDs;
• antiviral medications;
• adaptogens and immunomodulators.

Among NSAIDs, the following drugs are most often used in the treatment of pneumonia:

• Diclofenac - intramuscular injections;
• Nimesil - oral administration for mild pain;
• Analgin with Diphenhydramine, as a lytic mixture for intramuscular administration.

NSAIDs are prescribed as drugs that have an antipyretic effect and anti-inflammatory effect in pneumonia. As part of the treatment of pneumonia in patients of the pediatric age group, Paracetamol with Ibuprofen are used, as they are recognized as the safest.

Antiviral drugs - interferons and interferon inducers are prescribed for the following diseases:

• viral pneumonia;
• pneumonia of a viral-bacterial nature;
• chlamydial pneumonia;
• pneumonia caused by mycoplasmas;
• ARVI;
• diseases caused by cytomegalovirus.

Antiviral drugs include the following:

Among the interferon inducers, Cycloferon is prescribed.

There have been no pharmacological studies that could be called authoritative regarding the degree of positive effects of immunomodulators and adaptogens in inflammatory processes of lung tissue. But, they are also prescribed as part of the treatment of pneumonia.

It is generally accepted that aloe extract in ampoules intended for intramuscular administration promotes more rapid healing and restoration of full functionality of lung tissue after inflammation.

Cough medicines and other remedies

Pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy of pneumonia includes the following medications:

1. Cough therapy. Expectorants and sputum thinners are used here. The most frequently prescribed due to their high effectiveness are: “Ambroxol” (“Lazolvan”, “Ambrobene”, “Halixol”), “Acetylcysteine” and “Carbocisteine”. Bromhexine and cough syrups (Bronchicum, Doctor Mom) have also worked well in children. Cough medications are prescribed for a reason, but according to the clinical picture of pneumonia. They are taken orally in the form of tablets, syrups, and also in the form of inhalation through a nebulizer.
2. Inhaled bronchodilators. Some pneumonia occurs with bronchial obstruction syndrome (especially important in children under 3 years of age, smokers, pneumonia due to acute respiratory viral infections: parainfluenza, influenza, in patients with bronchial asthma). This syndrome is manifested by expiratory shortness of breath, difficulty in exhaling, dry wheezing throughout the entire surface of the lungs and can worsen the course of pneumonia.
3. NSAIDs: in adults, nimesil is more often used orally, diclofenac in the form of intramuscular injections, and less commonly, a combination of analgin with diphenhydramine as a lytic mixture intramuscularly. The purpose of prescribing NSAIDs for pneumonia is the antipyretic effect and anti-inflammatory effect of drugs in this group. In children, paracetamol and ibuprofen are most often used from NSAIDs as they are the safest.
4. Antiviral drugs: interferons (viferon, gripferon, genferon) and interferon inducers (cycloferon) are prescribed for viral and viral-bacterial pneumonia (ARVI, cytomegalovirus), pneumonia caused by mycoplasmas and chlamydia.
5. Immunomodulators and adaptogens: “Imunofan”, “Immunal”, “Ribomunil”, etc. It should be noted that adequate pharmacological studies have not been conducted to prove the effectiveness of the use of drugs in this group. However, they are still prescribed. For example, it is believed that aloe extract in ampoules for intramuscular administration promotes faster healing and restoration of lung tissue function.

The main schemes of injection drugs aimed at the pathogenesis of pneumonia are reflected in the table below.

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