Nosocomial pneumonia is the second most frequent hospital-acquired infection and the most common acquired infection in the intensive care unit. It can be caused by several different pathogens, and determining the most appropriate therapy is further complicated by a number of differential diagnoses - other disorders that mimic this disease, which can only be confirmed or excluded following laboratory tests. It therefore presents the clinician with a variety of challenges, in both diagnosis and management, all of which represent a significant concern for the welfare of a group of patients whose ability to combat infection is frequently already compromised.


In this new work, leading international authorities present an update on current best practice for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosocomial pneumonia. The first section of the book describes the environmental factors that lead to infection, and the clinical approaches appropriate to patients at risk. There then follows a series of chapters dedicated to each of the principal pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii and the specific strategies by which infections with these organisms may be combated. Finally, the authors address the problems associated with particular risk groups, including the immuno-compromised, trauma patients, and the presence of concomitant morbidities such as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.


This volume will be welcomed by pulmonologists, intensivists, and by all clinicians involved in managing pulmonary infections acquired in the hospital sett