Pneumonia is a severe lung infection that causes breathing difficulty, fever, cough, and fatigue. The following standards of care when followed, are shown to have a positive impact on the outcome of patients with pneumonia:

• Pneumonia Patients Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination
• Pneumonia Patients Whose Initial Emergency Room Blood Culture Was Performed Prior to the Administration of the First Hospital Dose of Antibiotics
• Pneumonia Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling
• Pneumonia Patients Given Initial Antibiotic(s) within Six Hours after Arrival
• Pneumonia Patients Given the Most Appropriate Initial Antibiotic(s)
• Pneumonia Patients Assessed and Given Influenza Vaccination

What is Measured
The percent of eligible pneumonia patients who received screening for and/or vaccination against pneumonia.

Why It's Important
The pneumococcal vaccine may help lower the risk of complications for pneumonia caused by bacteria as well as prevent future occurrences. Patients with pneumonia should be given the vaccine if they have not been recently vaccinated.

What Is Measured
The percentage of eligible pneumonia patients who had a blood culture taken prior to receiving antibiotics.

Why It's Important?
If pneumonia is caused by bacteria, hospitals will usually treat the infection with antibiotics. Different antibiotics are more effective at treating different bacteria. Hospitals use blood culture tests to determine the most effective antibiotic to treat a particular strain of pneumonia.

What Is Measured
The percentage of pneumonia patients with a history of smoking cigarettes who were given information or counseling to help them quit smoking.

Why It's Important
Smoking damages the lungs and can make breathing difficult, increasing the risk for pneumonia and other chronic lung diseases. Quitting may reduce a patient’s chance of contracting pneumonia again.

Patients who receive advice or counseling about quitting smoking are more likely to quit than those who do not.

What Is Measured
The percent of eligible pneumonia patients who received their first dose of antibiotics within six hours of arrival at the hospital.

Why It's Important
Antibiotics treat pneumonia caused by bacteria. Antibiotic treatment within six hours of hospital admission can cure bacterial pneumonia and reduce the possibility of complications.

What Is Measured 
The percent of eligible pneumonia patients who received the most appropriate type of antibiotic.

Why It's important
If pneumonia is caused by bacteria, hospitals will usually treat the infection with antibiotics. Different antibiotics are more effective at treating different bacteria. Hospitals use blood culture tests to determine the most effective antibiotic to treat a particular strain of pneumonia.

What Is Measured
The percent of pneumonia patients who received screening for and/or a vaccination against influenza (“the flu”).

Why It's Important
Flu shots reduce the risk of influenza, a serious and sometimes deadly lung infection that can spread quickly in a community or hospital. Pneumonia patients, particularly those who are age 50 or older, should get a flu shot during flu season to protect them from another lung infection and to help prevent the spread of influenza.