1.6 million people die each year from pneumococcal disease.
A scientific conference on the burden of pneumococcal disease was recently organized by the Vietnam Association of Preventive Medicine in Hanoi.
Pneumonia is characterized by the appearance of alveolar opacities and consolidation of the lungs or interstitial tissue on X-ray images.
PHOTO: VIETNAMESE RESPIRATORY SOCIETY ARCHIVES
According to the Vietnam Association of Preventive Medicine, Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), meningitis, sepsis, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and septicemia worldwide . The elderly, children, and immunocompromised individuals are more susceptible to pneumococcal infections. Furthermore, older adults often have chronic conditions such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic heart disease, increasing their risk of developing pneumococcal infections.
According to global disease burden studies, in 2021, the world had approximately 344 million cases of lower respiratory tract infections and 2.18 million deaths due to these conditions. Of these, pneumococcal bacteria were the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections and deaths, with an estimated 97.9 million cases and 505,000 deaths. In Vietnam, the mortality rate from pneumonia in 2021 was 18.2 per 100,000 people.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.6 million people die worldwide each year from pneumococcal disease, including 600,000 to 800,000 adults, primarily due to pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
Smoking and alcohol addiction increase the risk.
According to reports at the conference, risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing pneumococcal disease in adults include: age, especially those over 65, and weakened immune systems such as those with hematological cancers, chronic kidney disease, or those using immunosuppressive drugs, and those infected with HIV. Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and chronic liver disease also increase the risk of developing the disease.
Diabetic patients have a 2-5 times higher risk of developing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD); chronic lung disease patients have a 5-17 times higher risk of developing IPD; and cancer patients have a 23-38 times higher risk of developing IPD…
Smoking and alcohol addiction also increase the risk because smoking weakens the immune system and increases the risk of respiratory infections, while alcohol addiction impairs liver function and the immune system.
According to the Ministry of Health's guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults, Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the common causes of pneumonia.
Pneumonia-causing agents can enter the lungs through the respiratory tract (when inhaling bacteria from the external environment, inhaling bacteria from an infection site in the upper respiratory tract), the bloodstream (commonly seen after septicemia due to S. aureus, bacterial endocarditis, bacterial phlebitis)... and several other causes.
Disease prevention
- It is necessary to thoroughly treat any infections in the ear, nose, throat, and oral cavity, and effectively manage the patient's underlying medical conditions.
- It is important to keep the neck and chest warm during cold weather and eliminate harmful irritants (alcohol, tobacco).
- Get a flu shot; get a pneumococcal shot as directed by a healthcare professional.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguy-co-mac-benh-phe-cau-khuan-xam-lan-185240902201339461.htm
