LAUSR

The correct diagnosis of healthcare‐associated pneumonia (HCAP) as opposed to community‐acquired pneumonia is essential for the selection of a correct empirical antimicrobial approach, reserving the broad‐spectrum or highly potent antimicrobial therapies for resistant strains most commonly present in HCAP, whereas treating the less resistant strains, most commonly associated with community and long‐term care facility‐acquired infections, with a more targeted empirical approach. The standard approach today is to differentiate between the two based on the medical history of the past 90 days prior to admission. Measurable, quantitative assessment may be able to assist in this decision. The objective of this study is to find a measurable method of differentiating between community‐acquired and healthcare‐associated pneumonias.