Hospital-acquired pneumonia

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Hospital-acquired pneumonia Respiratory system

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Hospital-acquired pneumonia

The objective of treatment is to cure the infection with antibiotics. An antibiotic is selected based on the specific germ detected by sputum culture. However, the organism cannot always be identified with tests, so antibiotic therapy is given to fight the most common bacterial organisms that infect hospitalized patients -- Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative rods.

Supportive treatment includes supplemental oxygen and lung treatments to loosen and remove thick secretions from the lungs.

Most patients respond to the treatment and improve in 2 weeks. However, hospital-acquired pneumonia can be very severe and sometimes fatal.

Elderly or debilitated patients who fail to respond to treatment may die from acute respiratory failure.

This disorder usually develops in the hospital and is detected there.

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