Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, has been hospitalized for severe pneumonia, the Prime Minister's Office said.Lee, 91, was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 5, the office said in a statement Saturday. His condition has stabilized and he remains on mechanical ventilation in intensive care, the statement said.
69. And whoso obeys Allah
and the Messenger (Muhammad ),
then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace,
of the Prophets, the Siddiqun (those followers of the Prophets
who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq ), the
martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!
70. Such is the Bounty from
Allah, and Allah is Sufficient as All-Knower.
71. O you who believe! Take
your precautions, and either go forth (on an expedition) in parties, or go
forth all together.
72. There is certainly among
you he who would linger behind (from fighting in Allah's Cause). If a
misfortune befalls you, he says, "Indeed Allah has favoured me in that I
was not present among them."
73. But if a bounty (victory
and booty) comes to you from Allah, he would surely say - as if there had never
been ties of affection between you and him - "Oh! I wish I had been with
them; then I would have achieved a great success ( a good share of
booty)."
74. Let those (believers)
who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the Cause of Allah,
and whoso fights in the Cause of Allah, and is killed or gets victory, We shall
bestow on him a great reward.
75. And what is wrong with
you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated
and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord!
Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You
one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help."
76. Those who believe, fight
in the Cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghut(Satan, etc.). So fight you against the
friends of Shaitan (Satan); Ever feeble indeed is the
plot of Shaitan(Satan).
It said Lee was conscious and lightly sedated, and that doctors were continuing to monitor his condition.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Lee Kuan Yew, said in a Facebook posting that he visited his father on Saturday to wish him a speedy recovery.
"Visited my father in hospital this morning. Did not see him on the first day of the New Year, on the advice of doctors (both his and mine). So we wished him Happy New Year today, and a smooth recovery," he said, adding it was the first time in a long while that the family had missed reunion dinner for the Chinese New Year.
A founding member of the ruling People's Action Party, which transformed Singapore from a slow port city to a wealthy, bustling metropolis, Lee became prime minister in 1959 and held power for 31 years.
He continued to work for the government, first as "senior minister," a non-executive advisory post created for him, and from 2004 until 2011 as "minister mentor."
The PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011 as it struggled to stem rising discontent over the high cost of living, an influx of foreign laborers and rising income inequality.
Under Lee and his successors, Singapore — known for its ban on chewing gum sales and canings for crimes some countries would rule as minor — has strictly controlled public speech and assembly though has become socially more liberal and allowed greater artistic freedom in recent years.
Lee commands immense respect among Singaporeans, who this year will celebrate the 50th independence anniversary.
Pneumonia is a breathing (respiratory) condition in which there is an infection of the lung.
This article covers community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This type of pneumonia is found in persons who have not recently been in the hospital or another health care facility such as a nursing home or rehab facility. Pneumonia that affects persons in health care facilities, such as hospitals, is called hospital-acquired pneumonia.
Causes
Pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year in the United States. Germs called bacteria, viruses, and fungi may cause pneumonia. In adults, bacteria are the most common cause of pneumonia.
Ways you can get pneumonia include:
- Bacteria and viruses living in your nose, sinuses, or mouth may spread to your lungs.
- You may breathe some of these germs directly into your lungs.
- You breathe in (inhale) food, liquids, vomit, or fluids from the mouth into your lungs (aspiration pneumonia)
Pneumonia can be caused by many types of germs.
- The most common type of bacterium is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).
- Atypical pneumonia, often called walking pneumonia, is caused by other bacteria.
- The bacterium called Pneumocystis jiroveci can cause pneumonia in people whose immune system is not working well.
- Viruses, such as the flu virus, are also a common cause of pneumonia.
Risk factors that increase your chance of getting pneumonia include:
- Chronic lung disease (COPD, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis)
- Cigarette smoking
- Dementia, stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy, or other brain disorders
- Immune system problem (during cancer treatment, or due to HIV/AIDS, organ transplant, or other diseases)
- Other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, liver cirrhosis, or diabetes mellitus
- Recent surgery or trauma
- Surgery to treat cancer of the mouth, throat, or neck
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:
- Cough (with some pneumonias you may cough up greenish or yellow mucus, or even bloody mucus)
- Fever, which may be mild or high
- Shaking chills
- Shortness of breath (may only occur when you climb stairs or exert yourself)
Other symptoms include:
- Confusion, especially in older people
- Excess sweating and clammy skin
- Headache
- Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue
- Malaise (not feeling well)
- Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough
- White nail syndrome, or leukonychia
Exams and Tests
The health care provider will listen for crackles or abnormal breath sounds when listening to your chest with a stethoscope. Tapping on your chest wall (percussion) helps the health care provider listen and feel for abnormal sounds in your chest.
The health care provider will likely order a chest x-ray if pneumonia is suspected.
Other tests that may be ordered include:
- Arterial blood gases to see if enough oxygen is getting into your blood from the lungs
- Blood and sputum cultures to look for the germ that may be causing the pneumonia
- CBC to check white blood cell count
- CT scan of the chest
- Bronchoscopy--a flexible tube with a lighted camera on the end passed down to your lungs
- Thoracentesis--removing fluid from the space between the outside lining of the lungs and the chest wall
- Pleural fluid culture if there is fluid in the space around the lungs
Treatment
Your doctor must first decide whether you need to be in the hospital. If you are treated in the hospital, you will receive:
- Fluids and antibiotics through your veins
- Oxygen therapy
- Breathing treatments (possibly)
It is important that you are started on antibiotics very soon after you are admitted. If you have viral pneumonia, you will not receive antibiotics. This is because antibiotics do not kill viruses. You will receive other medicines, especially if you have the flu.
You are more likely to be admitted to the hospital if you:
- Have another serious medical problem
- Have severe symptoms
- Are unable to care for yourself at home, or are unable to eat or drink
- Are older than 65
- Have been taking antibiotics at home and are not getting better
Many people can be treated at home. If so, your doctor may tell you to take antibiotics.
When taking antibiotics:
- Do not miss any doses. Take the medicine until it is gone, even when you start to feel better.
- Do not take cough medicine or cold medicine unless your doctor says it is OK. Coughing helps your body get rid of mucus from your lungs.
Breathing warm, moist (wet) air helps loosen the sticky mucus that may make you feel like you are choking. These things may help:
- Place a warm, wet washcloth loosely over your nose and mouth.
- Fill a humidifier with warm water and breathe in the warm mist.
- Take a couple of deep breaths two or three times every hour. Deep breaths will help open up your lungs.
- Tap your chest gently a few times a day while lying with your head lower than your chest. This helps bring up mucus from the lungs so that you can cough it out.
Drink plenty of liquids, as long as your health care provider says it is OK.
- Drink water, juice, or weak tea
- Drink at least 6 to 10 cups a day
- Do not drink alcohol
Get plenty of rest when you go home. If you have trouble sleeping at night, take naps during the day.
Outlook (Prognosis)
With treatment, most patients improve within 2 weeks. Elderly or very sick patients may need longer treatment.
Those who may be more likely to have complicated pneumonia include:
- Older adults
- People whose immune system does not work well
- People with other, serious medical problems such as diabetes or cirrhosis of the liver
In all of the above conditions, pneumonia can lead to death, if it is severe.
In rare cases, more serious problems may develop, including:
- Life-threatening changes in the lungs that require a breathing machine
- Fluid around the lung (pleural effusion)
- Infected fluid around the lung (empyema)
- Lung abscesses
Your doctor may order another x-ray. This is to make sure your lungs are clear. But it may take many weeks for your x-ray to clear up. You will likely feel better before the x-ray clears up.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your doctor if you have:
- Cough that brings up bloody or rust-colored mucus
- Breathing (respiratory) symptoms that get worse
- Chest pain that gets worse when you cough or breathe in
- Fast or painful breathing
- Night sweats or unexplained weight loss
- Shortness of breath, shaking chills, or persistent fevers
- Signs of pneumonia and a weak immune system (for example such as with HIV or chemotherapy)
- Worsening of symptoms after initial improvement
Prevention
You can help prevent pneumonia by following the measures below.
Wash your hands often, especially:
- Before preparing and eating food
- After blowing your nose
- After going to the bathroom
- After changing a baby's diaper
- After coming in contact with people who are sick
Do not smoke. Tobacco damages your lung's ability to fight infection.
Vaccines may help prevent some types of pneumonia.
Be sure to get the following vaccines:
- Flu vaccine can help prevent pneumonia caused by the flu virus.
- Pneumococcal vaccine lowers your chances of getting pneumonia from Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Vaccines are even more important for the elderly and people with diabetes, asthma, emphysema, HIV, cancer, persons with organ transplants, or other long-term conditions.
Alternative Names
Bronchopneumonia; Community-acquired pneumonia; CAP
When Lori Ard and her fiancé Matt Renton contracted the H1N1 swine flu virus last January, she had no idea what a terrible course the illness would take. “We expected [the symptoms] to go away in a few days, but they didn’t,” Ard says. The influenza led to severe pneumonia, claiming Renton’s life at the age of 35, and Ard wound up in the hospital with respiratory failure.
Pneumonia, an infection that causes inflammation in the lungs, affects millions of Americans each year. While it is often mild and generally responds well to treatment, it can be life-threatening, especially for the very young, the elderly, and people with chronic conditions.
“The lung is a large organ, and it’s a vital organ,” says Gerard Criner, MD, director of the Temple Lung Center in Philadelphia. “If it gets infected and it compromises the primary function to support ventilation, that’s a big contributor to morbidity and mortality. It’s also a way for patients to become profoundly ill, and the infection can spread beyond that local tissue and into the bloodstream.”
Ard was especially vulnerable because she suffers from Wegener’s Granulomatosis, a rare autoimmune disorder that restricts blood flow to the lungs and other organs. “Both of my lungs collapsed, and the only thing that they could do was put me on the donor list [for a transplant],” says Ard, 33, who lives in Windham, Ohio. “I only had two weeks to find a matching pair of lungs and luckily, two days after I had been put on the list, a pair of lungs came up...so I had a double lung transplant.”
Roughly one-third of all pneumonia cases in this country are caused by respiratory viruses, most commonly influenza. As Jason Turowski, MD, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic, puts it, “viruses set up shop and basically wreak havoc on your lungs.” Other causes of pneumonia include bacteria and fungi.
Once pneumonia-causing organisms invade lung tissues, air sacs in the lungs called alveoli fill up with fluids and pus, making it hard to breathe. Symptomsinclude cough, fever, fatigue, and nausea.
Pneumonia that develops from exposure to germs through day-to-day social interaction is known as community-acquired pneumonia. Hospital-acquired pneumonia refers to patients who become infected in a healthcare facility. “Health providers can inadvertently relocate [the infection] from one patient to the next or spread it,” Criner says. Patients on ventilators are at particular risk because breathing tubes can introduce bacteria into the lungs.
Walking or atypical pneumonia is a less severe form of bacterial pneumonia, in which “the symptoms are mild, and you’re not bedridden,” says Dr. Turowski. But even a mild form of the illness should not be ignored because symptoms can persist and worsen. A doctor usually can spot pneumonia by listening to your lungs or on a chest x-ray.
What medication is prescribed to treat pneumonia depends on the cause of infection: antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia, antiviral medications for some types of viral pneumonia, and antifungal drugs if the pneumonia is traced to fungi. The specific course of treatment will vary based on symptoms, severity, and any other underlying health issues.
The good news is that there are measures you can take to reduce your risk of developing pneumonia:
Practice good hygiene. Simple precautions such as washing your hands frequently, covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and disposing of used tissues cut down exposure and spread of germs.
No smoking. “Smokers are at a much greater risk of getting pneumonia because the protective mechanisms that your lungs set up to escalate debris out of your lungs are just paralyzed by tobacco,” Turowski says.
Get vaccinated. Pneumococcal vaccines protect against one of the most common causes of bacterial pneumonia, and the flu shot can help avoid influenza-related pneumonia. Getting vaccinations “is the most important thing you can do,” Turowski says.
Know the signs. Ard stresses how important it is to recognize symptoms early on and have them checked out. “Trust your instinct. Go to your doctor,” she says. “Better safe than sorry.”
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