Community-acquired, health care-associated, and ventilator-associated pneumonia: three variations of a serious disease.

Pneumonia affects millions of people every year in the United States. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is associated with a mortality rate as high as 50%. Pneumonia is classified according to where it was acquired or by the infecting organism. This article explores the similarities and differences in three types of pneumonia seen routinely in the intensive care unit: community-acquired pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and health care-associated pneumonia.