Pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality
worldwide. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) indicate that pneumonia is the leading
cause of infectious disease-related death in the US and
is responsible for more than 1.2 million of the 35 million
annual US hospitalizations.1,2
As health care expands and technology advances, many
traditional inpatient services can be provided in nonhospital
settings. Long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities,
outpatient hemodialysis centers, and home health care represent
current modalities for nonhospital care, and their use
likely will only expand as the US elderly population continues
to increase at a disproportionate rate to the rest of the
population.