For the treatment of pneumonia, medications are primarily used. If the disease is caused by pathogenic microorganisms, special drugs are needed to kill them, mainly antibiotics.
Antibiotics in tablets for pneumonia are potent drugs that have side effects, so you need to carefully read the instructions for use.
Effectiveness of antibiotic tablets
Antibacterial drugs are prescribed to kill bacteria and stop them from multiplying. If this is not done in time, the body will be seriously damaged, and the person may die with advanced pneumonia. The course of antibiotic treatment is calculated based on the stage and type of the disease, as well as the strain of the infectious agent.
For example, for the treatment of the extracellular form of the pathogen, a week is enough, and it takes about one and a half months to get rid of a lung abscess.
As a rule, the first signs of the work of antibacterial agents are noticeable already 3 days after the start of therapy:
- the patient’s temperature drops and the chills stop;
- shortness of breath and symptoms of respiratory failure disappear due to oxygen saturation of the blood;
- the volume of sputum secreted decreases, pus disappears.
Antibiotics help reduce the area of inflammation by freeing breathing and relieving the patient from pain.
With pneumonia, complex treatment is required, therefore, pain relievers, antitussives, mucolytics and antispasmodics are added to antibacterial drugs. Traditional medicine methods are also often used, but only as support for basic antibiotic therapy. In addition, the patient should put his lifestyle in order: quit bad habits, start eating right and exercise.
Varieties of drugs
Antibacterial agents for pneumonia are divided into groups depending on the main active ingredient in the composition:
- Penicillins. This type of antibiotic was the first to appear. Distinguish between semi-synthetic and natural species, but the efficiency does not change. The list of side effects is limited to allergic manifestations, diarrhea and hypersensitivity. It is used against staphylococci and streptococci.
- Tetracyclines. These funds are used much less frequently, since microorganisms easily develop resistance to the active substance. In addition, tetracyclines accumulate in human bones and can cause tooth decay. Such funds are not allowed for pregnant and lactating women, young children and patients with kidney pathology. Doxycycline and tetracycline are the most common drugs.
- Cephalosporins. Allocate 4 generations of this type of drugs. First: Cefalexin, Cefazolin. Effective against staphylococci and pneumococci. Second: Cefuroxime, Cefurabol. They are used to treat both gram-positive and gram-negative flora. Third: Cefoperazone, Cefotaxime. They are prescribed for complications in the last stages of pneumonia. Fourth: Cefepim. The most powerful agent from the group of cephalosporins.
- Macrolides. Drugs in this group are prescribed for the treatment of pneumonia caused by legionella, cocci and chlamydia. They are taken on an empty stomach because food inhibits absorption. Allergies are rare. Erythromycin, Clarithromycin and Azithromycin are mainly prescribed. Patients diagnosed with liver disease should not take such drugs.
- Aminoglycosides. Antibiotics of this pharmacological group are intended to neutralize aerobic gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, they are effective in case of infection with several strains of microorganisms, when combined means must be used. Among the aminoglycosides, Gentamicin and Amikacin are distinguished. The dose of the drug is individual for each patient and is based on the indicators of his body (weight, age) and the severity of the disease. During the course of treatment, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the kidneys, especially glomerular filtration.
- Quinols and fluoroquinols. They are used to treat pneumonia caused by E. coli and legionella. Active substances are excreted from the body in the urine, therefore, impaired renal function is a contraindication. Also, you can not use the remedy for liver diseases, in childhood, with allergies and pregnancy. Medicines are used under the names Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin.
Features of reception
The use of antibiotics in pills for pneumonia is more common, since not everyone knows how to give injections. The oral form of antibacterial agents has a number of rules for use:
- Treatment for pneumonia should be started immediately after the doctor has prescribed the necessary medications. It is impossible to hesitate in buying and taking antibiotics.
- If the patient is seriously ill with the disease, he may be prescribed a more effective remedy. At the same time, if complications were identified immediately, then two antibiotics are prescribed from the very beginning of treatment. The following combinations are commonly used: Erythromycin and Penicillin; Streptomycin and Monomycin; Monomycin, Oleandomycin and Tetracycline.
- First-line antibiotics are prescribed before a specific pathogen is identified. They are taken constantly to ensure the required concentration of active substances in the blood. They should have the widest possible spectrum of action to cover the majority of potential inflammatory pathogens.
- It should be noted that taking more than 2 remedies at home is not encouraged, since the combination of drugs leads to the suppression of some body systems. The doctor prescribes combinations of antibiotics to prevent death due to pneumonia and its complications, therefore, during a serious deterioration in health, it is recommended to go to the hospital.
- Do not decrease or increase the indicated dosage. Small doses lead to the development of resistance of pathogens to the active substance, and large doses have a negative effect on the body.
- With prolonged use of antibacterial tablets, it is necessary to additionally include probiotics in the course. The fact is that antibiotics destroy not only harmful pathogens, but also beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Their lack becomes the cause of dysbiosis and deterioration of digestion and assimilation of food.
- If antibacterial therapy lasts more than 3 weeks, then a week break is required. After this, sulfonamides or nitrofurans are usually prescribed.
- It is important to remember: the course must be drunk completely, even if the symptoms of the disease have disappeared.
You need to drink the tablets only with clean water and, in most cases, on an empty stomach. When treating children, adults need to closely monitor their condition so that the doctor has an idea of the course of therapy. If the child becomes ill during the course of treatment, you should consult a doctor, and not cancel the drug yourself. Pneumonia is a disease in which antibiotic therapy is indispensable. These drugs fulfill an important mission: they destroy pathogenic microorganisms, but they can also harm humans. For this reason, you cannot prescribe drugs on your own, you need to observe the dosage and do not forget about supportive therapy.