Pneumonia Case Study
August 27th, 2014
Mrs. Yolanda Bone
South University

Pneumonia Case Study

A major cause of morbidity and mortality is Pneumonia. Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses (Center for Disease Control, 2014).The infection is classified into two categories; community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP). The classification is determined by the environment in which the infection develops (CDC, 2014). HCAP develops during or following a stay in a healthcare facility. In contrast, patients who are diagnosed with CAP have had no contact within a health care setting prior to presenting with the infection (Driver, 2012). Pneumonia may be present as a mild illness but has the potential to be life-threatening. Despite advances in research, pneumonia remains a common illness contributing to the death of young children in developing countries and the elderly population of developed countries throughout the world (Ruuskanen, et al., 2011). In 2010, approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. died after developing the infection (CDC, 2014). From a global perspective, 450 million cases of pneumonia are recorded annually and roughly 4 million of those diagnosed will die from this illness (Ruuskanen, et al., 2011). CAP is the eighth-leading cause of death within the U.S. and is the leading cause of death from infection in the developed world (Brown, et al., 2012). While anyone is susceptible to contracting it, certain risk factors increase the chances of developing the infection. Research confirms that pneumonia is more serious in younger and older populations; people with chronic health problems; and people who have weak immune systems (CDC, 2014). In the U.S., the population older than age 65 account for nearly two thirds of hospitalizations and 90 percent of deaths associated with