Definition of Hospital-acquired pneumonia:

Hospital-acquired pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that occurs during a hospital stay.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Pneumonia is a very common illness. It is caused by many different germs, and the infection can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia tends to be more serious than other lung infections, because:

• Patients in the hospital are often sicker and unable to 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 (also called a 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 saliva or food into the lungs (aspiration)
• Chest surgery
• Immunosuppression (immune system does not work well)
• Long-term (chronic) lung disease
• Not being fully alert
• Older age
• Recent illness