Answer 1: Defining HAP, VAP, and HCAP

20 June, 2018

 

 

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) are important causes of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients(1-5). HAP is defined as pneumonia – which was not incubating at the time of hospital admission – occurring > 48 hours after hospital admission (1-3). VAP usually refers to pneumonia that arises > 48-72 hours after endotracheal intubation (2,3). HCAP includes any patient that was hospitalized in an acute care hospital for two or more days within 90 days of the infection, resided in a nursing home or long-term care facility, received recent intravenous antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy or wound care within the past 30 days of the current infection or attended a hospital or hemodialysis clinic (3,4,6).