How common is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a major cause of illness in the United States.1 Each year:1 • About 4 million people in the United States get pneumonia in daily life through the home or workplace (community-acquired pneumonia). Community-acquired pneumonia does not include cases of pneumonia contracted in a health care facility (such as a nursing home). • Of the 4 million people who get community-acquired pneumonia each year, about 1 million will have to go to the hospital. • About 60,000 cases result in death. People older than 65 years:2 • Make up about one-third of all cases of community-acquired pneumonia. • Are hospitalized more often and stay longer in the hospital than younger people. References Citations • Simon HB (2006). Pneumonia and other pulmonary infections. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 7, chap. 20. New York: WebMD. • Niederman MS (2004). Pneumonia, including community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia. In JD Crapo et al., eds., Baum’s Textbook of Pulmonary Diseases,
