UNAIR NEWS – Pneumonia, commonly referred to as “wet lungs,” is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition. According to dr. Kudiarto, Sp.P, a pulmonologist at Hospital (RSUA), the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified pneumonia as the leading cause of death in children under five. Additionally, data from Indonesia檚 National Health Insurance (BPJS) indicates that pneumonia is among the ten most common illnesses requiring hospitalization.
Pneumonia occurs when the lungs become filled with pus or fluid due to an infection. Structurally, the lungs resemble clusters of grapes connected by tiny airways, but in pneumonia, these air sacs become inflamed and accumulate fluid, leading to what is commonly known as “wet lungs.”
The primary cause of pneumonia is microbial infection. 淭hese microbes include bacteria, fungi, and viruses, except for the tuberculosis-causing virus, explained dr. Kudiarto. The spread of infection follows a six-stage chain. First, the presence of pathogens. Second, the reservoir, which serves as the habitat for these microbes. Third, the portal of exit, such as coughing, through which pathogens leave the body. Fourth, the entry point where the microbes invade a new host. Fifth, the mode of transmission, which determines how the infection spreads. Finally, the individual’s immune response plays a crucial role in either resisting or succumbing to the disease.
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