Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCommon CausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Common Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), also known as nosocomial pneumonia, is a lower respiratory bacterial infection that occurs 48 hours or more after hospital admission and does not appear due to intubation at the time of admission.
People experience a host of symptoms ranging from fever and chills to shortness of breath and chest pain and are at higher risk of developing severe complications and even death. Infections are also much more likely in older adults and those who have poor health or are immunocompromised.
This article discusses the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia.
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The first sign of hospital-acquired pneumonia may be a change in mental status, irritability, or confusion, but cases vary widely from person to person. Other common symptoms include:
The following risk factors may put you at higher risk of acquiring HAP:
HAP is indistinguishable from other forms of pneumonia, so a diagnosis is usually made based on:
One or more of the following factors also help diagnose HAP:
Bacterial culture is considered the gold standard for confirmation of pneumonia. Cultures can be obtained from:
A lower respiratory culture should be obtained before initiating antibiotics; not only is this helpful in diagnosing the exact cause of your HAP, but it also allows your healthcare provider to de-escalate antibiotics and focus on killing the offending pathogen.
U.S. Updates Antibiotic Resistance Plan: Here’s What’s New
Antibiotic-resistant organisms—bacteria that have learned to avoid the killing mechanisms of antibiotics—are of growing concern.
If the risk of bacterial resistance is low in the hospital, the following antibiotics may be used to treat HAP:
If the risk of bacterial resistance is high, vancomycin or linezolid should be added to the treatment regime. At times, “high guns” may need to be used to vanquish certain bacterial infections that are difficult to treat. Adding one of the following may be effective:
Studies consistently show that people affected with HAP are at increased risk of all cause mortality, sometimes as high as 50%, despite the availability of effective antibiotics.
Even when people survive the primary infections that cause HAP, they are at risk of dying from associated pre-existing health conditions that may have worsened during their recovery from infection.
Variables associated with increased mortality include:
Summary
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), also known as nosocomial pneumonia, is a lower respiratory bacterial infection that occurs 48 hours or more after hospital admission.
A Word From Verywell
HAP is often a severe medical complication that healthcare providers take serious precautions to prevent. Still, it may be hard to determine the early signs of HAP, especially when the person affected is already sick, underscoring the importance of watching closely for any small changes that may take place in a loved one’s condition.
If you suspect that a friend or a family member has HAP, notify a healthcare provider immediately, as early initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics has been shown to decrease the likelihood of morbidity and mortality.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Hospital acquired pneumonia management and prevention guidelines.BMJ Best Practices.Hospital-acquired pneumonia (non COVID-19).UptoDate.Treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults.Infectious Diseases Society of America.Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (Hap/vap).Giuliano KK, Baker D, Quinn B.The epidemiology of nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in the United States.American Journal of Infection Control. 2018;46(3):322-327. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2017.09.005
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Hospital acquired pneumonia management and prevention guidelines.BMJ Best Practices.Hospital-acquired pneumonia (non COVID-19).UptoDate.Treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults.Infectious Diseases Society of America.Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (Hap/vap).Giuliano KK, Baker D, Quinn B.The epidemiology of nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in the United States.American Journal of Infection Control. 2018;46(3):322-327. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2017.09.005
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Hospital acquired pneumonia management and prevention guidelines.BMJ Best Practices.Hospital-acquired pneumonia (non COVID-19).UptoDate.Treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults.Infectious Diseases Society of America.Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (Hap/vap).Giuliano KK, Baker D, Quinn B.The epidemiology of nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in the United States.American Journal of Infection Control. 2018;46(3):322-327. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2017.09.005
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Hospital acquired pneumonia management and prevention guidelines.
BMJ Best Practices.Hospital-acquired pneumonia (non COVID-19).
UptoDate.Treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults.
Infectious Diseases Society of America.Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (Hap/vap).
Giuliano KK, Baker D, Quinn B.The epidemiology of nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in the United States.American Journal of Infection Control. 2018;46(3):322-327. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2017.09.005
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