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
You will receive antibiotics through your veins (IV) to treat your lung infection. The antibiotic you are given will fight the germs that are in your sputum culture.You may also receive oxygen to help you breathe better and lung treatments to loosen and remove thick mucus from your lungs.Patients who have other serious conditions do not recover as well from pneumonia as patients who are not as sick.
Where to find medical care for (Hospital-acquired pneumonia)?
to Hospitals Treating Hospital-acquired pneumonia
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Hospital-acquired pneumonia can be a life-threatening illness. Long-term lung damage may occur.