Question

My mother, aged 80, had pneumonia a year ago. She was living alone and did not see a doctor for several days, by which time she was dehydrated and confused. She has never been the same since - could she have suffered brain damage due to anoxia caused by the pneumonia?

Answer

Only your mother's personal physician can really answer this question. However, we can provide some general comments on possibilities. Despite the advent of antibiotics, pneumonia is still one of the leading causes of death in both the United Kingdom and North America. It is therefore a very serious illness. Furthermore when it occurs in somebody as old as your mother, the infection is very likely to be complicated by other coexisting illnesses, which may complicate the treatment given for the infection. There are several different types of pneumonia, some of which are more serious and do not respond to antibiotics as well as bacterial pneumonia.

It would be unusual for permanent brain damage to occur following pneumonia itself, unless any anoxia was marked and/or prolonged. The failure to return to her old self may be due to other underlying conditions which have progressed since the time she had the pneumonia. Alternatively, the pneumonia may have led to depression. Certainly though, pneumonia itself may affect long term physical health by leading to chronic changes within the chest or lung. Finally your mother may well be on tablets now that she was not on a year ago, and these may be having adverse effects. In conclusion therefore, your mother requires a thorough investigation and check, and for this she needs to see her personal physician. You may wish to go with her so that all your justifiable worries can be answered at the same time.