Long-term Care–acquired Pneumonia among Older Adults

Mohammed Al Houqani, MBBS, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Theodore K. Marras, MD, FRCPC, Attending Staff, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital; Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

Long-term care-acquired pneumonia is a clinical syndrome of pneumonia that develops in a resident of a long-term care facility who has not been recently hospitalized. It is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among the residents of long-term care facilities. Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophils influenza, and Moraxella catarrhalis are the most frequently identified bacterial causative. Poor oral hygiene increases the risk of long-term care-acquired pneumonia. In this review, we discuss the risk factors, pathogenesis, etiology, management, and the preventive measures for long-term care-acquired pneumonia.
Key words: Long-term care, nursing home, health care facilities, pneumonia, fluoroquinolones.