Prevalence of Diseases of the Nose and Paranasal Sinuses in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract

In most cases, patients with community-acquired pneumonia have inflammatory diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses, as well as in patients who have had a history of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract several weeks and months ago. When examining such patients with rhinosinusitis, the functions of the nose and paranasal sinuses are impaired, which in turn leads to the activation of opportunistic microflora, which increases the adhesion of pathogenic microorganisms to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and creates favorable conditions for microbial colonization. It is known that viruses have a bronchotropic effect, manifested by damage to the epithelium and a violation of the trophism of the bronchi due to damage to the nerve conductors. Under the influence of the general toxic effect of the virus, phagocytosis is inhibited, immunological protection is impaired, as a result, favorable conditions are created for the entry of pathogenic bacterial flora located in the upper respiratory tract into the bronchi and alveoli of the lungs, which to a large extent contributes to the development of diseases of the lower respiratory tract.