bronchopneumonia [Gk, bronchos + pneumon, lung] , an acute inflammation of the lungs and bronchioles, characterized by chills, fever, high pulse and respiratory rates, bronchial breathing, cough with purulent bloody sputum, severe chest pain, and abdominal distension. The disease is usually a result of the spread of infection from the upper to the lower respiratory tract, most commonly caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Staphylococcus pyogenes, or Streptococcus pneumoniae. Atypical forms of bronchopneumonia may occur in viral and rickettsial infections. The most common cause in infancy is the respiratory syncytial virus. Bronchopneumonia may lead to pleural effusion, empyema, lung abscess, peripheral thrombophlebitis, respiratory failure, congestive heart failure, and jaundice. Treatment includes administration of an antibiotic, oxygen therapy, supportive measures to keep the bronchi clear of secretions, and relief of pleural pain. Also called bronchial pneumonia, catarrhal pneumonia. Compare aspiration pneumonia, eosinophilic pneumonia, interstitial pneumonia. See also lobar pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus.
