Hospital-acquired pneumonia (patient information)
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Hospital-acquired pneumonia |
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Hospital-acquired pneumonia On the Web |
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Hospital-acquired pneumonia |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Hospital-acquired pneumonia |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief:Shivali Marketkar, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that occurs during a hospital stay. This type of pneumonia can be very severe. Sometimes it can be fatal.
What are the symptoms of (Hospital-acquired pneumonia)?
In an elderly person, the first sign of hospital-acquired pneumonia may be mental changes or confusion. Other symptoms are:
- A cough that may produce mucus-like, greenish, or pus-like phlegm (sputum)
- Fever and chills
- General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sharp chest pain that gets worse with deep breathing or coughing
- Shortness of breath
What causes (Hospital-acquired pneumonia)?
Pneumonia is a common illness. It is caused by many different germs. Hospital-acquired pneumonia tends to be more serious than other lung infections because:
- Patients in the hospital are often very sick and cannot fight off germs.
- The types of germs present in a hospital are often more dangerous than those encountered in the community.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia occurs more often in patients who are using a respirator machine to help them breathe. This machine is also called a ventilator. This type of pneumonia is known as ventilator-associated pneumonia.Hospital-acquired pneumonia can also be spread by health care workers, who can pass germs from their hands or clothes from one patient to another. That is why hand-washing, wearing gowns, and using other safety measures is so important in the hospital.
Patients who are more prone to getting hospital-acquired pneumonia:
- Are alcoholic
- Have had chest surgery or other major surgery
- Have a weak immune system from cancer treatment, certain medicines, or severe wounds
- Have long-term (chronic) lung disease
- Breathe saliva or food into their lungs as a result of not being fully alert or problems swallowing
- Are older
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
Tests to check for hospital-acquired pneumonia may include:
- Arterial blood gases, to measure oxygen levels in the blood
- Blood cultures, to see if the infection has spread to the blood
- Chest x-ray or CT scan, to check the lungs
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Pulse oximetry, to measure oxygen levels in the blood
- Sputum culture or sputum gram stain, to check for what germs are causing the pneumonia
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for (Hospital-acquired pneumonia)?
to Hospitals Treating Hospital-acquired pneumonia