Overview
Pneumonia acquired in the hospital is a very serious infection because the patient's defense mechanisms are often impaired by illness, and the infecting organisms are more dangerous than the ones generally encountered in the community.
Review Date 8/1/2021
Updated by: Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, MHS, Paul F. Harron, Jr. Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.