Hospital-acquired pneumonia is predicable with a short list of risk factors, according to research published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers analyzed 119 cases of hospital-acquired pneumonia between January 2006 and April 2008. The mortality rate for the group was 27.7 percent. Risk factors for the development of nosocomial pneumonial in the group included:
- Malnutrition
- Chronic renal failure
- Anemia
- Depression of consciousness
- Charlson comorbidity score greater than or equal to 3
- Recent hospitalization
- Thoracic surgery