Cold Wave Has Claimed 94 Peruvian Kids Since January

A cold wave that swept through the country's Andean region has claimed nearly 100 children, reports health ministry. All the children were under the age of five and died of pneumonia between January and April.

The ministry reported over 797,000 episodes of non-pneumonic acute respiratory infections in toddlers during the period, along with 9,286 cases of pneumonia.

Pneumonia - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by a bacteria or a virus. It causes inflammation of the alveoli or the air sacs of the lungs.

The total number of reported deaths from pneumonia stood at 94 from January 1 to April 28, health authorities said in a bulletin. Most of the deaths were in the southern and southeastern departments -- the poorest in the country.

Temperatures there reached 10 degrees below zero Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) in areas with elevations above 3,500 meters (11,480 feet).

Last year, cold temperatures in the Andes killed 359 children under the age of five, according to the Health Ministry.

Hib Vaccine - Types, Dosage Schedule, Contraindications and Side Effects
The Hib vaccine protects children against infections like meningitis and pneumonia that are caused by the Haemophilus influenzae type b bacterium.

The World Health Organization says pneumonia is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide, killing some 1.4 million children under five each year.

Source-AFP

Lung Biopsy - Indications - Procedures - Risks - FAQs - Reference
The procedure by which tissue samples are obtained from the lung is known as lung biopsy. The biopsy tissues obtained from the lungs are examined by a pathologist.

The Lungs
The lungs are our organs of respiration. It is within these, that exchange of gases takes place.