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Pneumonia, Viral

Veronica A. Torres, MD and Elizabeth M Thoyakulathu, MD Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Inflammatory disease of the lungs due to a viral infection.

  • Most viral pneumonia result from exposure infection in the form of aerosolized secretions both large droplet (>5 microns...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Gradual onset

  • Rhinorrhea is predictive (OR 3.52) (7)[B].

  • Fever/chills

  • Headache

  • Myalgias

  • Malaise

  • Anorexia/decreased feeding in adults/infants

  • Cough (with or without purulent sputum productio...

TREATMENT

  • Outpatient treatment for most patients

  • Inpatient treatment for infants <4 months of age, elderly, or for any patient with diffuse, severe infection (e.g., hypoxemia, hypercarbia, hypotensi...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

  • Clinical follow up

  • Repeat a CXR only if warranted by clinical presentation. A CXR may take weeks to resolve after clinical illness has resolved.

  • O...

REFERENCES

1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimated flu-related illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States—2019–2020 flu season. https://www.cdc.gov/flu...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal influenza (flu). http://www.cdc.gov/flu/. Accessed October 13, 2019

  • Dandachi D, Rodrigu...

SEE ALSO

Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Acute (ARDS); COVID-19 

CODES

ICD10

  • J12.9 Viral pneumonia, unspecified

  • J12.0 Adenoviral pneumonia

  • J12.1 Respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia

  • J12.2 Parainfluenza virus pneumonia

  • J12.81 Pneumonia due to SARS-associated coronavirus

  • ...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Laboratory testing may confirm the diagnosis of viral pneumonia, but this may not change therapy and must not replace clinical judgment.

  • Influenza vaccination is recommended for all per...

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