Text II. Pneumonia in Children

Although a large number of children are admitted to the hospital with initial diagnosis of bronchopneumonia, this diagnosis is found to be correct in only a few of them. The suspected diagnosis of pneumonia is not confirmed. Bronchopneumonia in children may easily be confused with bronchitis or upper respiratory infection without broncho-pulmonary involvement. In some cases it is difficult to make an exact diagnosis and sometimes it remains undetermined until characteristic manifestations of the disease are evident.

The respiratory infection is more common in the first two years of life and may be associated with the mortality during this period. If the child is in a poor state of nutrition, death rate is particularly high.

A sudden onset is characteristic of specific pneumonia while a history of respiratory catarrh is obtained in most of cases of aspiration pneumonia. Gastrointestinal and nervous complications are more frequent with specific pneumonia. In specific pneumonia X-ray examination shows affection of one or the other lobe while in aspiration pneumonia, there are lesions localized predominantly at the bases. Bacteriological examination shows growth of normal bacterial flora in patients with aspiration pneumonia. The leukocyte count is over 14, 000 in most of the patients with specific pneumonia but lower in those with aspiration pneumonia.

The research which has been carried out in this field shows that radiological and bacteriological investigations are necessary for a correct diagnosis.

20. Read text III. Translate the text using the dictionary. Answer the question What is the main idea of the text?: