Pneumonia refers to infection of the lungs. Pneumonia can be either community-acquired or hospital-acquired. The majority of the cases of pneumonia seen in the Neurosurgery ICU are hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections. Patients at particular risk of developing pneumonia are those who are non-ambulatory/bed-bound, patients who are not awake/alert enough to cough/clear their own respiratory secretions, patients who have had recent surgery, patients connected to a ventilator, etc.

To prevent pneumonias, patients are mobilized as early as possible in their hospital course (moved from the bed to a chair to eventually walking), patients are encouraged to use their incentive spirometer (a device you breathe into to help expand your lungs), patients get chest physical therapy to help break up thick respiratory secretions, etc. If a patient is suspected of developing a pneumonia, a chest x-ray is performed, sputum cultures are sent to the laboratory, and antibiotics may be started.