Necrotizing pneumonia is one of the severe forms or complications of pneumonia that is of the community acquired kind. This condition is characterized or marked by cavitations and liquefaction of the lung tissue. Pneumonia is basically a fairly common infection that affects the lungs. This infection may be caused by a number of microorganisms that include bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites.

The symptoms of this condition ordinarily begin after 2 to 3 days following the exposure. Community acquired pneumonia may sometimes develop certain complications like necrotizing pneumonia. This form of community acquired infection is developed by individuals who are not hospitalized for lung infection.

The normal symptoms associated with pneumonia include fever, cough, chills, rapid breathing, vomiting, chest pain and loss of appetite. A large number of children tend to suffer from necrotizing pneumonia. A number of these cases display signs of pleural effusion. In pleural effusion the microorganisms from lung cause fluid formation within the space that surrounds the lung and this is called pleural cavity.

Such a condition may require thoracentesis wherein the fluid is collected through a needle and examination is done. Then based on the result the fluid may be drained. In the absence of drainage the antibiotics may not prove to be effective. In many necrotizing pneumonia cases prolonged hospitalization may be needed and many of the cases have positive cultures with Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Many of the cases of necrotizing pneumonia need chest drainage through pleural intervention and complete resolution may be observed in around 2 months. S pnemoniae is the main organism that is responsible for development of this condition in some cases however some other bacteria have also been identified in recent times. Respiratory failure may occur in some cases and in such a situation a breathing tube may be employed so that the patient can breathe. In some cases a ventilator may also be used.