Double Pneumonia

[horseshoes]

My uncle has been admitted to hospital today with double pneumonia. He's a chronic asthmatic and has been poorly with his chest all his life - sometimes the wheezing sounds like a car going past! What will they do for him? and what is double pneumonia as opposed to pneumonia? and is it twice as bad?

[bednobs]

both lungs affected?

[horseshoes]

One lung affected

[237SJ]

I`ve always thought double pneumonia meant it was in both lungs

[gingejbee]

...and so did I.

[Buenchico]

Quote (in relation to 'pneumonia'):
"Terms such as bronchopneumonia, lobar pneumonia and double pneumonia are sometimes used, but refer to the same condition with the same causes and treatment".

Click through the links ('Symptoms', 'Causes' etc and, in particular 'Complications') here:
http://www.nhs.uk/Con...ges/Introduction.aspx

Chris

[boxtops]

There's an interesting article here on wiki about pneumonias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonia

[Sqad]

There is no such thing as "Double Pneumonia".......it is a laymen´s term.

Two main types of pneumonia

1) Lobar pneumonia.....affecting one lobe of the lung.
2) Bronchopneumonia ....affecting more than one lobe of the lung.

If your uncles is an asthmatic it is almost certainly bronchopneumonia which in laymen´s term is "double pneumonia"

[horseshoes]

Yes, that's it Squad. It was the doctor at the hospital who told my Mum (the patient's sister) that it was double pneumonia. Just a thought, but he may as well have used the correct term, if laymen don't understand the terminology! They may as well not understand the correct term as not understand a layman's term - if you see what I mean.

Thank you for explaining Squad; so what will be his treatment long-term. At the minute he has had steroids (again) and antibiotics plus an oxygen mask which is making him feel MUCH better.

[Sqad]

When the pneumonia has resolved, then he will revert back to the medical regime that he was on prior to his pneumonia.

[horseshoes]

Thanks Squad. I'm off to see him this evening.

[horseshoes]

Sorry. I misinformed you. It is BOTH lungs affected. He is looking better than he has done for weeks! A nurse came and put his mask on whilst we were there. Thanks again for the info.