Pneumonia
Pneumonia is defined as acute infection of the pulmonary parenchyma, presenting with consistent symptoms and signs and associated with new radiographic shadowing. It may be acute or chronic in onset and involve either one area of a lung (e.g. lobar pneumonia) or be multifocal in nature. It may be community acquired or hospital acquired. Community- acquired pneumonia is defined as pneumonia occurring in an individual with no recent contact with a healthcare setting, or in a patient admitted to hospital with development of symptoms and/or signs of pneumonia within 48 hours of admission. Hospital-acquired pneumonia or nosocomial pneumonia occurs when a patient develops symptoms or signs of pneumonia after 48 hours of admission to a healthcare setting or in the context of a long-term nursing home resident. A subtype of nosocomial pneumonia is ventilator-associated pneumonia, defined as pneumonia occurring at least 48–72 hours post intubation.