Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda to put on Christmas with the flu virus. As a result of the disease he should have captured according to Reports, now pneumonia. The concern with Lauda is great. FOCUS Online spoke with a specialist.
Again hype about formula 1 legend Niki Lauda. After a lung transplant in August, a three-month hospital stay and subsequent rehab, it seemed the 69-go Year, only towards the end of the year is finally better. The Christmas holidays he spent with the family on Ibiza. But there he is matching according to media reports, with the flu. Then, he broke off his vacation immediately flew back to Vienna and settled there in the “General hospital” (AKH).
Influenza infection is especially dangerous
“Transplant patients should be vaccinated against the flu, as every Influenza infection is especially dangerous”, explains Nikolaus Kneidinger, head of the Department “lung transplantation and Interstitial lung diseases” at the University hospital of Munich. As immunosuppressants, the need to take transplant patients, weaken the immune system, can be a type of infection more severely than, for example, in healthy people without transplanted organs.
When a flu vaccination can be used in transplant patients, in fact, is, however, dependent on several factors. Also the necessary immune response may fail in case of weak immune system is low, such as Kneidinger explains.
The flu seemed to be last week, survived, today, Tuesday, the world champion should be dismissed. But on Sunday he suffered a setback, such as “o24.at“ reported. The Doctors at the Vienna hospital to have according to the Reports, then an “Influenza-pneumonia” an inflammation of the lungs in consequence of the flu, diagnosed. An official confirmation of the diagnosis.
"The Situation is komplex"
"Lauda is taken by his Influenza illness. He’s just like any other patients with a flu-like Infekt", the physician Walter Klepetko says to "motorsport-total". It was "more than a Erkältung". Danger to life but I have never existed at any time.
The 69-Year-old will ventilated, nor had he been strict bed rest is prescribed, explains Klepetko. Be Patient to stand even on a regular basis.
"The Situation is due to the heavy intervention in the summer is not as easy as in a healthy person. The Situation is complex.", quoted "motorsport-total" the doctor.
Transplanted lung with pneumonia apply immediately as an acute emergency
General lung inflammation are not uncommon and can be treated in the normal case. Depending on the Severity of the disease may occur but in the case of non-transplant, such as transplant patients, especially advanced age, always to complex gradients.
Expert Nikolaus Kneidinger, explains: “anyone Who becomes ill with a transplanted lung to a lung inflammation, is considered to be an emergency”. That is, he must be treated right away. To avoid a secondary bacterial infection, administer Doctors are not bacteria, but viruses are the patient in such a case, a broad – acting antibiotics-also, if the trigger for the disease.
Pneumonia in elderly patients are not always dangerous
Generally speaking, the chances of a cure for pneumonia are also given in the case of transplant patients. Kneidinger, however, declared: “Especially in older patients, pneumonia is very dangerous. Most of the people survive, however, without prejudice to“.
Transplanted lungs need, in any case, but more time and a more intensive treatment to recover. In the worst case, pneumonia is life-threatening.
After surviving the disease serious threatening late effects
A further risk is the skilled in the art also sees that the possible virus infections can leave a lasting damage to the transplanted lung: “There are studies that have shown that infections, rejection can trigger reactions”.
This could also happen after months or even years, as a late consequence. “Depending on the severity of the rejection, it may be that the person Concerned is not barely true, it affected him so. But it may also be that he falls again into a similar state as before the transplant, so, for example, to an oxygen – or ventilator needs to be connected“.