HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA VS. VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA

What is Pneumonia?

• Very common illness
• Range from mild to life threatening,
• Caused by many different germs

What is hospital-acquired pneumonia?

• An infection of the lungs that occurs during a hospital stay.
• Patients in the hospital are usually sicker making it more difficult to fight off the infection
• The germs present in hospital are often more dangerous
• Occurs more often in patients who are on a ventilator

What is a Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP)?

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a lung infection that develops in a person who is on a ventilator. A ventilator is used to assist the patient to breathe by giving supplemental oxygen through a tube placed in patient’s mouth. VAP infection can occur if germs enter the tube and get into the patient’s lungs.


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Risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia

• Alcoholism
• Aspiration of salvia or food
• Chest surgery
• Immunosuppressed individuals
• Chronic lung disease (COPD/Asthma)
• Elderly

Symptoms

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• Productive cough
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Fever
• General malaise
• Headahce
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain with inspiration
• Shortness of breath

Assessment

• Crackles or decreased breath sounds
• Decreased oxygenation
• Respiratory distress

Tests

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• Arterial blood gases
• Blood cultures
• Chest x-ray
• CBC
• Sputum cultures (gram stain)

Treatment

• Aims to cure the infection, antibiotic is chosen based on the results of sputum cultures
• Oxygen
• Respiratory treatments to help loosen mucus in lungs

Reference:

www.cdc.gov.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.