Pneumonia Process of Care Measures Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that causes difficulty breathing, fever, cough and fatigue. These measures show some of the recommended treatments for pneumonia. Pneumonia Patients Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination April 2010 through March 2011 The pneumococcal vaccine may help you prevent, or lower the risk of complications of pneumonia caused by bacteria. It may also help you prevent future infections. Patients with pneumonia should be asked if they have been vaccinated recently for pneumonia and, if not, should be given the vaccine. Higher percentages are better. Pneumonia Patients Whose Initial Emergency Room Blood Culture Was Performed Prior To The Administration of the First Hospital Dose of Antibiotics April 2010 through March 2011 Different types of bacteria can cause pneumonia. A blood culture is a test that can help your health care provider identify which bacteria may have caused your pneumonia, and which antibiotic should be prescribed. A blood culture is not always needed, but for patients who are first seen in the hospital emergency department, it is important for the accuracy of the test that blood culture be conducted before any antibiotics are started. It is also important to start antibiotics as soon as possible. Higher percentages are better. Pneumonia Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling April 2010 through March 2011 Smoking damages your lungs and can make it hard to breath. Smoking increases your chances of getting pneumonia or other chronic lung diseases like emphysema and bronchitis. Smoking is also linked to lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and can cause premature death. It is important for you to get information to help you quit smoking before you leave the hospital. Quitting may reduce your chance of getting pneumonia again. Higher percentages are better. Pneumonia Patients Given Initial Antibiotic(s) Within 6 Hours After Arrival April 2010 through March 2011 Antibiotics are used to treat adults with pneumonia caused by bacteria. Early treatment with antibiotics can cure bacterial pneumonia and reduce the possibility of complications. Higher percentages are better. Pneumonia Patients Given The Most Appropriate Initial Antibiotic(s) April 2010 through March 2011 Pneumonia is a lung infection that is usually caused by bacteria or a virus. If pneumonia is caused by bacteria, hospitals will treat the infection with antibiotics. Different bacteria are treated with different antibiotics. Higher percentages are better. Pneumonia Patients Assessed and Given Influenza Vaccination April 2010 through March 2011 Flu shots reduce the risk of influenza, a serious and sometimes deadly lung infection that can spread quickly in a community or facility. Hospitals should check to make sure that pneumonia patients, particularly those who are age 50 or older, get a flu shot during flu season to protect them from another lung infection and to help prevent the spread of influenza. Higher percentages are better.