Why do old people often get pneumonia after an operation or when they break their hip ?

Question

If pneumonia is the lungs filling up with water, then why can't they siphon it out ? What can they do to maybe AVOID their lungs filling up with water ?

Answer 1

If I had my way, the term pneumonia would be banished-all it translates as is "a condition of the lungs". It is caused by dozens of things, from a virus to near drowning.
Post operative pneumonia is caused by failure to deep breathe and cough, either from pain or weakness. This causes the mucus your lungs produce to clear themselves to become static and fill the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lung. The same thing can occur after a fracture of the pelvis or leg because of inability to get out of bed and move around normally. It can happen to anyone but the elderly are more susceptible, just as they are to other ailments (like breaking a hip). Many older people also grew up in the period when everyone smoked, so they have more or less degree of lung disease.
The alveoli are far to small too get to in order to clear the mucus- it has to be coughed into the larger airways to be reached by any sort of tube that can suction it up. We can give antibiotics to clear any secondary infection started in the inspissated secretions, bronchodilators by inhalation to make it easier to cough and on occasion we will vibrate and percuss the chest wall to help loosen the thick mucus. The worst case scenario is the person goes on the ventilator to support their breathing with a large tube in the trachea for us to periodically suction the mucus out through. All this is very unpleasant, so-if you ever have surgery or are injured and bedridden, when the nice nurse or respiratory therapist tells you to deep breathe and cough, JUST DO IT! That is how you prevent hospital acquired pneumonia.

Answer 2

Actually, pneumonia in the elderly, especially in the hospitalized geriatric, is usually due to decreased immune function. This allows infection by opportunistic or foreign sources, meaning that they easily get pneumonia from organisms that they could normally stave off. Pnuemonia can also be caused for other reasons.

Decreased mobility, decreased lung expansion (not deep breathing/coughing, usually lead to atelectasis, which can be a factor in pneumonia, usually increasing consolidation. However, these are not primary causes of pneumonia, as suggested previously.

Decrease nutrition, especially in delayed initiation of parenteral feedings or TPN also plays a big role.

Answer 3

Pneumonia doesn't fill your lungs up with water. Old people are more susceptable to pneumonia as they get out of bed as quickly as a younger person might after surgery. They often refuse therapy becuase it hurts to move, They also are often more malnourished so they are more susceptable to pneumonia. A youger person eats better and gets of bed and starts walking sooner as they want to get out of that hospital quicker. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria usually. Fluid on the lungs is an entirely different thing.

Answer 4

If some one has a surgery they are usually inmobile. So, they don't move and all the fluid just builds up in their lungs. I have had it happen a few times after surgery as well. Once you are able to move about and not stay in bed all day then it helps to get stuff moving again.

Answer 5

Fluid on the lungs is usually caused by congestive heart failure which is a completely different condition than pnemonia. The reason that older people develop pnemonia after a operation or if they are incapacitated is because they don't move around, take deep breaths, etc.. because it may be painful...

Answer 6

# 1 answerer is completely wrong!!!1. Old people are more susceptable to pneumonia as they get out of bed as quickly as a younger person might after surgery. NOT TRUE!THE OLDER PERSON DOES NOT GET OUT OF BED AS QUICKLY AS A YOUNGER PERSON.
2. A younger person eats better and gets of bed and starts walking sooner as they want to get out of that hospital quicker. ARE YOU SAYING AN OLDER PERSON DOES NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF THAT HOSPITAL JUST AS QUICKLY??