Hospital pneumonia is a type of pneumonia that occurs 48 hours after a person’s hospitalization or up to 72 hours after discharge and the microorganism responsible for the infection was not incubated at the time of admission to the hospital, having been contracted in a hospital setting.
This type of pneumonia can be linked to hospital procedures and can be caused mainly by bacteria present in the hospital environment that can settle in the person’s lungs, decreasing the amount of oxygen and causing a respiratory infection.
- It is important that hospital pneumonia is identified and treated quickly so that complications can be prevented and there is a higher likelihood of recovery.
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- Your family doctor or pneumologist or infectious disease specialist may recommend the use of antibiotics to eliminate the responsible microorganism and promote symptom improvement.
Hospital pneumonia is caused by microorganisms that can be found more easily in the hospital due to the virulence factors at their disposal that allow them to stay longer in the hospital and are not eliminated by disinfectants normally used in hospitals.
This type of pneumonia occurs more easily in people who undergo mechanical ventilation and are then called pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation, and who have less immune system activity or have difficulty swallowing, with a higher likelihood of aspiration bacteria that naturally colonize the upper airways.
Thus, the main microorganisms associated with hospital pneumonia are
To confirm hospital pneumonia it is necessary to confirm that the infection occurred 48 hours after admission or up to 72 hours after discharge, in addition to the need for laboratory and imaging tests to help confirm the pneumonia and the microorganism associated with the infection. Learn more about infections in the hospital.
Symptoms of hospital-acquired pneumonia are similar to those of community pneumonia, with high fever, a dry cough that can develop into a cough with yellow or bloody discharge, easy fatigue, lack of appetite, chest pain and shortness of breath.
In most cases of hospital-acquired pneumonia that affects the person still hospitalized, symptoms are usually seen immediately by the team responsible for the person and treatment is started shortly thereafter. However, if symptoms of hospital pneumonia appear after hospital discharge, it is important that the person consults the doctor who accompanied him for an assessment, indicating the testing and, if necessary, initiating the most appropriate treatment.
Learn to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia
Treatment of inhospital pneumonia should be indicated by the pneumologist based on the overall health of the person and the microorganism responsible for pneumonia, and the use of antibiotics to control the microorganism and reduce inflammation is generally indicated.
Signs of improvement usually appear around the seventh day of treatment, however, depending on the severity of the pneumonia, the person may remain hospitalized during treatment or, in some cases, be discharged. In the latter case, patients with the disease may use oral antibiotics at home.
In some cases, physiotherapy may also be indicated, with breathing exercises, can supplement treatment with medication, helping to eliminate infected secretions and preventing new bacteria from reaching the lungs, also being used in long-term hospitalized patients, as a means of prevention hospital pneumonia. Understands how respiratory physiotherapy is performed.
Hospital pneumonia can be contagious, and it’s therefore important for a person to avoid public spaces such as work, parks, or school until they heal. However, if it is necessary to go to these places, it is recommended to wear a protective mask, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, or put your hand or a handkerchief in front of your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
See also some exercises that help strengthen the lung and accelerate recovery from pneumonia: