Topic-specific infection prevention
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- Pneumonia
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Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia. Certain people are more likely to get sick with pneumonia including adults 65 years of age or older; children younger than 5 years of age; people who have medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or asthma; and people who smoke cigarettes. This page contains pneumonia prevention resources and education for both healthcare professionals and consumers.
The following links are APIC resources on pneumonia for healthcare professionals.
Implementation guides and tools
- Strategies to Prevent Ventilator‐Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals:2014 update—The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (APIC collaborated with SHEA and other organizations on development of this resource)
- Guide to the Elimination of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Transmission in Hospital Settings, 2nd Edition (2010)—Implementation Guide
- Preventing pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections—Special Long-Term Care Supplement to Prevention Strategist
- 2014 Pneumonia Worksheet
- 2014 Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Worksheet (Alternate Criteria for Infants and Children)
- The dirty mouth: Clean it and prevent infection in the long-term care resident—APIC Infection Connection
- SHEA/APIC Guideline: Infection prevention and control in the long-term care facility—AJIC special communication
- APIC Text (subscription required)
Education & training
APIC offers a comprehensive collection of clinical education and professional development programs. The following resources are educational opportunities related to pneumonia. Visit the Education & Certification page for more educational opportunities.
- Visit the APIC 2016 Annual Conference website to search for education on pneumonia
Prevention Strategist articles
The following links include articles on pneumonia prevention from APIC’s Prevention Strategist magazine.
- Preventing pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections—Special Long-Term Care Supplement, Summer 2013
AJIC articles
Search the American Journal of Infection Control website for more articles on pneumonia. To access these articles, you need to first login to the APIC website.
External resources
- Guidelines for Preventing Health-Care-Associated Pneumonia, 2003—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Hospital-acquired, Ventilator-associated, and Healthcare-associated Pneumonia–American Thoracic Society
- How-to Guide: Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia—Institute for Healthcare Improvement
- Improving Surveillance for Ventilator-Associated Events in Adults—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Reappraisal of Routine Oral Care With Chlorhexidine Gluconate for Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis—JAMA/American Medical Association
The following links are APIC and external resources on pneumonia for consumers.
APIC
- The 9 ways to reduce the risk of pneumonia—Monthly alert for consumers
- Influenza and pneumococcal immunization—Monthly alert for consumers
External resources
- Pneumonia—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Pneumococcal Immunization—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention