Pneumonia Diagnosis: No Isolation? Offered Vaccine?

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I am curious to know the explanation for a patient admitted to a med/surg unit of a hospital with a diagnosis of "pneumonia:" on antibiotics, placed in a room with another patient, no airborne isolation precautions? Also: if the patient has pneumonia, why do we offer the vaccine? I have been out of the field for quite a while and am orienting back into nursing; the nurse I shadowed did not have full answers to those queries. If the type of pneumonia is not contagious, should that not be specified as part of the diagnosis?

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Specializes in CRNA.
I am curious to know the explanation for a patient admitted to a med/surg unit of a hospital with a diagnosis of "pneumonia:" on antibiotics, placed in a room with another patient, no airborne isolation precautions? Also: if the patient has pneumonia, why do we offer the vaccine? I have been out of the field for quite a while and am orienting back into nursing; the nurse I shadowed did not have full answers to those queries. If the type of pneumonia is not contagious, should that not be specified as part of the diagnosis?

Pneumonia itself is not contagious, it is nothing more than inflammation of the parenchyma of the lung. It is the bacteria/virus/fungi/or even parasite that actually causes the pneumonia to develop in the poor sucker who cannot fight it off. Vaccines work fine for common organisms but do not protect against all. Presumably in the case you mentioned it was probably bacterial in origin because the practitioner started antibiotics. Then again, according to most soccer moms a "Z-Pack" can cure cancer better than Chuck Norris' tears (yeah right). After a dose or two it is pretty tough for the dude in the next bed to be at any real risk of becoming infected.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Then again, according to most soccer moms a "Z-Pack" can cure cancer better than Chuck Norris' tears (yeah right).

HA!!! Thanks, I nearly spit my drink all over my keyboard.

So true ...

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Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.

The vaccine is only effective against Pneumococcal pneumonia, a community-acquired pneumonia. It is offered to the elderly and other suspectible immunocompromised individuals. And standard precautions are sufficient in a pneumonia patient; isolation is not required. I've never seen a patient isolated for pneumonia...unless the sputum showed Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) or other such drug resistant bacteria. And they don't need to have pneumonia to have that!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.
And standard precautions are sufficient in a pneumonia patient; isolation is not required. I've never seen a patient isolated for pneumonia...unless the sputum showed Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) or other such drug resistant bacteria. And they don't need to have pneumonia to have that!

I don't think anyplace has enough rooms to isolate for pneumonia...and it's not necessary!

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.

I have been a licensed nurse since 1968. And unless the person has a restraint strain, I have never known a patient to be isolated for pneumonia. And according to all the education I have benefited from, over the years, I am at a loss as to why it would be indicated in anyone except those with a drug resistent strain.

But hey, what do I know. I've only been a nurse for forty years.

Woody:twocents:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept.

We don't place pneumonia patients in 'Isolation' but since we are fortunate enough to only have 1 double room on the unit (35 rooms, 36 beds) - we do make sure that we don't put a pneumonia patient in the double room with a roommate. I'm sure that's a luxery not everyone has.

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Heck...in the winter, most of our LTC facility has it for a period of time. A few yrs ago, I finally got a pneumonia and bronchitis.

LOL....Z packs. So true! Now...I tend to agree that a good cough med with codeine will cure everything!!!

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

I don't understand why a pneumonia pt would need iso???

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You are right; I wasn't thinking it through.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
I am curious to know the explanation for a patient admitted to a med/surg unit of a hospital with a diagnosis of "pneumonia:" on antibiotics, placed in a room with another patient, no airborne isolation precautions? Also: if the patient has pneumonia, why do we offer the vaccine? I have been out of the field for quite a while and am orienting back into nursing; the nurse I shadowed did not have full answers to those queries. If the type of pneumonia is not contagious, should that not be specified as part of the diagnosis?

Pneumonia certainly can be contagious, depending upon the type. At my facility, once the patient has been on abx for 24 hours, they no longer need to be on droplet (not airborne) precautions.

Pneumonia can be caused by many different organisms. The vaccine that we administer is effective against some 23 or so strains of bacteria.

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