Hospital acquired pneumonia is defined as a new infection of lung parenchyma appearing more than 48 hours after admission to the hospital. It occurs mostly in patients who are severely debilitated, immunocompromised or mechanically ventilated. This article briefly describes the diagnostic concerns and treatment considerations for hospital acquired pneumonia. Causes Infection occurring during the first four days of the hospital stay is usually caused by S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis.
Onset more than four days after admission is more often caused by Gram-negative enterobacteria, S. aureus or L. pneumophila. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is often caused by multiple organisms. Diagnostic Concerns Blood cultures should always be obtained, since blood culture findings are positive in a significant minority of HAP cases. Obtaining sputum via noninvasive methods with…
