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Sub-Category:

Atypical Pneumonia

Number of Conditions: 1

Mycoplasma Infections (Mycoplasma pneumoniae)

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Category: Bacterial Infections

Sub-category: Atypical Pneumonia

Symptoms:
persistent dry cough; fever; sore throat; fatigue; headache; mild chest pain

Root Cause:
Caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterium lacking a cell wall, making it resistant to many antibiotics and leading to atypical pneumonia.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical presentation, chest X-ray, PCR for Mycoplasma DNA, or serologic testing for antibodies.

Treatment:
Antibiotic therapy effective against atypical organisms and symptomatic relief.

Medications:
Azithromycin (macrolide antibiotic), doxycycline (tetracycline-class antibiotic), or levofloxacin (fluoroquinolone antibiotic).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Responsible for 10–30% of community-acquired pneumonia cases; more common in younger populations, such as school-aged children and young adults.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Close contact in crowded settings (e.g., schools, dormitories), weakened immune system.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally good with treatment; most patients recover within a few weeks.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Severe pneumonia, encephalitis, hemolytic anemia, and skin rashes like Stevens-Johnson syndrome.