Risk factors that place a patient at higher risk of acquiring this infection include the following: Age greater than 65 Patients who have co-morbidities which may include asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Patients deficient in vitamins Patients who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol Patients who have other illnesses that result in their immune system being weakened. Symptoms of this lobar pneumonia caused by the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae also known as Pneumococcus, include: Fever (up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit) Chills Productive cough Sputum that is green in color Difficulty breathing Fatigue Diminished appetite Pleuritic chest pain that becomes worse with coughing or deep inhalation Increased heart rate Confusion Diaphoresis Other symptoms may present based on if the bacteria has spread from the lungs into the bloodstream or into the meninges.  If the bacteria has spread to the bloodstream the patient will experience symptoms of sepsis. If the bacteria spreads to the meninges he/she will experience symptoms of meningitis in addition to the pneumonia symptoms.  The symptoms of meningitis may include the following:  fever, headache, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light.  Encephalitis and endocarditis can also result if the bacteria spread to the brain or heart respectively.  Streptococcus Pneumonia is a very serious bacteria and can result in life threatening infection within a very short period of time; therefore, it must be caught early and treated to prevent repercussions that may even result in death.

Pneumonia is an infectious disease that affects the lungs and leads to symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It may affect one or both lungs and severity can range from mild to deadly. Pneumonia can be caused by bacterial, viral or fungal processes. There are many factors that contribute to the severity such as age, co-morbidity, immune system, and whether or not the person smokes. With pneumonia the air sacs of the lungs (alveoli) fill up with fluid and/or pus resulting in damage to the lung tissue.  It is transmitted from patient to patient through contact with respiratory droplets.  Those over the age of 65 are at greater risk of developing a severe form of pneumonia known as lobar pneumonia caused by the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae. People over age 65 and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of acquiring more serious and life-threatening forms of pneumonia.  Those at high risk can protect themselves by getting the pneumonia vaccine. Later in this article we will discuss the two vaccines that protect against pneumonia caused by Streptococcus Pneumoniae.

Risk factors of Pneumonia Risk factors of pneumonia that place a patient at higher risk of acquiring this infection include the following: Age greater than 65 Patients who have co-morbidities which may include asthma , heart disease, diabetes , or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Patients deficient in vitamins Patients who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol Patients who have other illnesses that result in their immune system is weakened. Symptoms of Pneumonia Symptoms of this lobar pneumonia caused by the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae also known as Pneumococcus, include: Fever (up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit) Chills Productive cough Sputum that is green in color Difficulty breathing Fatigue Diminished appetite Pleuritic chest pain that becomes worse with coughing or deep inhalation Increased heart rate Confusion Diaphoresis Other symptoms may present based on if the bacteria has spread from the lungs into the bloodstream or into the meninges.  If the bacteria has spread to the bloodstream the patient will experience symptoms of sepsis, and if the bacteria spreads to the meninges he/she will experience symptoms of meningitis in addition to the pneumonia symptoms.  The symptoms of meningitis may include the following:  fever, headache, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light.  Encephalitis and endocarditis can also result if the bacteria spread to the brain or heart respectively.  Streptococcus Pneumonia is a very serious bacteria and can result in a life-threatening infection within a very short period of time; therefore, it must be caught early and treated to prevent repercussions that may even result in death.

It is imperative to be proactive and get the pneumonia vaccine if you are a high risk patient.  The vaccines have been developed so that prophylactic prevention versus treatment of an advanced infection can be utilized. Pneumonia Vaccines Types There are two types of vaccines available in the United States that help to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with the contraction of this pathogenic bacteria.  The two types of vaccines available to prevent infection as a result of Streptococcus Pneumoniae include:  Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine.  Both of these vaccines are recommended for the patient population that is 65 years of age or older. Streptococcus Pneumoniae has a polysaccharide capsule that allows for its ability to evade capture and death by cells within the body known as phagocytes.  In the Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV), the polysaccharide capsule is the essential component used within that vaccine.  The Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV or Pneumovax) was created in the 1970s and has since been modified to include 23 different capsular polysaccharides of the most common Streptococcus Pneumoniae serotypes.  The vaccine is thus referred to as PPSV23 to indicate that it provides immunity to 23 capsular polysaccharides of the most common 23 serotypes of this Pneumococcus.

Within the past 5 years, it has been recommended that patients age 19 or older, who have severely compromised immune systems should receive both the PPSV23 and PCV vaccines. Patients that have immune-compromising infections such as HIV; or patients who for one reason or another have had to have their spleen removed are at high risk of contracting any bacterial infection and subsequently are at a significantly higher risk of contracting life-threatening complications to an otherwise treatable disease. This recommendation was also updated to include those age 65 or over.  In patients who are age 65 or older and are in good health are only recommended to receive the PPSV23 vaccine, and are not given the PCV13 vaccination.  There is little evidence to prove that the addition of the PCV13 vaccine in healthy patients who are 65 and older will provide them with superior immunity when compared to the immunity they receive from the PPSV23 vaccination.  Therefore, based on that information, it is recommended that healthy 65 years of age and older patients should only receive the PPSV23 vaccination. Both the PPSV23 and the PCV13 vaccines should be given to all patients age 65 and older who have immune compromised diseases such as, but not limited to the following:  CSF leak, cochlear implants, asplenia, sickle cell anemia, blood disorders, immunodeficiency, B or T lymphocyte deficiency, complement deficiency, phagocytic diseases, HIV infection, chronic kidney failure, Nephrotic syndrome, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma, malignancy, immunosuppression as a result from chronic use of glucocorticoids or radiation, and solid organ transplant recipients.