Walking Pneumonia in Plain Sight

Charting Pediatrics

A common yet often misunderstood infection is popping up in different corners of our community. Mycoplasma pneumonia, otherwise referred to as walking pneumonia, can present in a way that’s subtle and sneaky, with a plethora of symptoms. This ‘silent’ infection can fly under the radar leaving both patients and providers puzzled, but we want to make sure our listeners feel prepared to tackle this diagnosis. How do we ensure it doesn’t slip through the cracks? How do we identify it in our patients? We’ll discuss all that and more in this episode.

Joining us for this exciting discussion are Lilliam Ambroggio, PhD, and Michael Bozzella, DO. Dr. Ambroggio is the Director of Research in the sections of Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is also an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Bozzella is the Associate Medical Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship and specializes in infectious disease. He is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics.

Some highlights from this episode include:

• Understanding where it colonizes and how it spreads
• How to identify this disease properly, as the presentation can look like many different illnesses
• How the epidemiology informs what primary care providers should know about this diagnosis
• Knowing when to test

For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.