Bronchopneumonia, or bronchial pneumonia, is a type of pneumonia that originates in the bronchioles of the lungs, which are the smaller ducts of the bronchial tubes. The contagious infection is caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.

In previously healthy individuals that acquire the illness, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus infections are among the most common causes, but individuals whose pulmonary defense systems are already weakened from another ailment, such as chronic bronchitis, are more likely to be infected by Klebsiella or Pseudomona bacteria. When any of these microorganisms find their way into the body through the respiratory system, they are disseminated through the bloodstream and settle in the bronchiolar epithelium, causing acute inflammation that extends into the surrounding alveoli.

Symptoms of bronchopneumonia are similar to other types of pneumonia and may include fatigue, a productive cough, fever, chills, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. The skin of individuals with the disease may also take on a bluish hue in advanced cases when enough oxygen is not available to the blood. The administration of oxygen is often necessary for such patients. Other types of treatment frequently provided to individuals with bronchopneumonia are dependent on the causative agent. Antibiotics are effective against many bacterial forms of the illness, but not viral pneumonias. Bed rest, use of a humidifier, and plenty of fluids are generally recommended for all cases of the disease.

Infants and the elderly are particularly susceptible to bronchopneumonia, but anyone may contract the disease. Pneumococcal vaccinations are recommended for individuals in high-risk groups and provide up to 80 percent effectiveness in staving off pneumococcal pneumonia. Influenza vaccinations are also frequently of use in decreasing one’s susceptibility to pneumonia, since the flu precedes pneumonia development in many cases. Vaccinations are often credited with significantly decreasing the threat of pneumonia, as are antibiotics. In the first half of the twentieth century before antibiotic drugs were developed, approximately one-third of all people who contracted pneumonia died of the disease. Today, more than 95 percent of all patients recover when they receive proper medical treatment.

Bronchopneumonia at 20x Magnification - An x-ray of the chest of a patient with bronchopneumonia often reveals a scattering of heterogenous opacities, rather than the homogenous opacity characteristic of lobar pneumonia, due to the involvement of multiple sites in the lungs.

Bronchopneumonia at 10x Magnification - Together with influenza, pneumonia ranks as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, although the disease is much less deadly than it was prior to the development of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines.