pneumonia as a complication from measles

[WinkyWinkola]

Is is a different kind of pneumonia when you get it as a result from measles?

Are there many different types?

Can they all be treated with antibiotics?

I've googled but I can't find any answers.

Don't know as always thought there was only one type of pneumonia. It depends on how your own body copes and how responsive to the ABs different people are.

There are different causes, but basically it is fluid building up in the lungs

here it talks about 2 types of pneumonia associated with measles. I think pneumonia is is the complication that is most often the cause of death in young children with measles.

A doctor was talking about this on the radio this morning. The pneumonia associated with measles is viral and can not be treated, tho' they might give ab's in case there is an underlying bacterial infection.

She said it is the most common reason for children with measles to be hospitalised. V serious, especially in babies or children with asthma.

This terrifies me, i have a 4 year old, fully vax but has a chest infection every month and asthmatic and a 2 year old only part vax.
Can anyone tell me how likely my 2 year old is to catch measles after having only first part of vax.
its confusing me. :)

Monster i have a two year old and according to the NHS website the booster can be given three months after the first dose. I'm in for her 2yr 3month check next week and I'm going to ask if they'll do it early. I believe its 90% but I don't know whether that means 90% of people are protected or if 100 people were exposed a random 10 would get measels.

Misfor thanks I think ill phone the docs tomorrow and ask then.

There are only a couple of drugs to target viral pneumonia, they both suppress the bone marrow, compromising the immune system even more, and one is slower to work, opening up the lungs for more damage.

Monster I am worried for the same reasons my 3 year old has severe asthma and is prone to pneumonia anyway. The GP can't do his pre school booster for another 5 weeks either!

I spoke to ds's paed about the preschool booster today. Ds is 2.9 and has a rare genetic condition, he also has recurrent chest infections and pneumonias. He said that he thinks he should have his pre school booster bought forward and has booked it for next week. He said it can be given 3 months after 1st dose. 1 in 10 are still not immune after 1st dose, about 1 in a 100 are still not immune after 2nd.

If you are worried, I'd call your dr.

I definitely will do, they gov seem to be concentrating on over 10s and not to fussed about the under fives.

The reason focus is so heavily on secondary age is because so many haveno protection. Uptake of one injection is currently better than it was 10 plus years ago.

Yes I understand that, Im really glad my brother had it, he's 16.
My mil was ill for a couple of months with pneumonia last year. Its awful.

My DS (now 13) had a post measles dose of pneumonia when he was 5 .
He's fine now , but at the time it was terrifying .

He had , what we thought was a heavy cold . But at tea time he was very limp so I went and got my neighbour who is a nurse to look at him .
By the time she came round (2 mins) he had stopped breathing .
She performed CPR and told me to call an ambulance .

1 week in an isolation room on IV antibiotics in hospital .
2 weeks of oral antibiotics at home .
Month of physio on his chest .

We were visited in hospital by a research doc who took samples from his throat and nose , because they were just starting to link measles and pneumonia to each other back then . And doing a big study on it all .

He's a morose healthy teenaged boy now though !

I wonder if ds's last bout of pneumonia was viral, it didn't start like a chest infection, and was unresponsive to 2 lots of abs. He then had a week of IV antibiotics followed by another 2 weeks of oral abs. We have been told to continue with chest physio morning and night ongoing.

Have just recovered from measles related pneumonia. It was called pneumonitis. Measles virus infects lungs and leaves them weak and vulnerable to infection. Then developed severe infection in both lungs. It was pretty awful. Treated with strong antibiotics for ten days. I made a good recovery but was very ill. Felt exhausted and was in bed all the time for first six days. Remained very tired and weak for about a week after I had finished antibiotics. I think in people who already have chronic conditions or who Are elderly it can be very serious. Doctor told me that if they didn't think antibiotic was working I would have to go in hospital.