Hospital-acquired pneumonia
Alternate Names : Nosocomial pneumonia, Ventilator-associated pneumonia
Definition
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is an infection of the lungs contracted during a hospital stay.
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Pneumonia is a very common illness. It is caused by many different germs and can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. Hospital-acquired pneumonia tends to be more serious, because a patient's defense mechanisms against infection are often impaired during a hospital stay. In addition, 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 require a respirator (also called a breathing machine or ventilator) to help them breathe. When pneumonia occurs in a patient who is on a ventilator, it is known as ventilator-associated pneumonia. Risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia include: - Alcoholism
- Being on a breathing machine
- Breathing material into the lungs (aspiration)
- Chest surgery
- Immunosuppression from medications or disease
- Long-term (chronic) lung disease
- Medications that affect alertness
- Older age
- Recent illness
Pictures & Images
See all Pictures & Images
|