Survive pneumonia? Depends which hospital you choose

July 25, 2008

The third report since 2004 on how California hospitals treat pneumonia confirmed that where patients go can mean the difference between living and dying.

Patients at the worst- performing hospitals were twice as likely to die as those at the best-ranked hospitals.
Los Angeles County is in better shape than most, with 20 of 92 hospitals surveyed that rated “better than expected” and four that rated “worse than expected.”

The report, released this week by the Office of Statewide Health, Planning and Development, looked at 30-day mortality rates for community- acquired pneumonia between January 2003 and November 2005. “Community-acquired” means that the bacteria, viruses, fungus or other organisms that cause pneumonia were contracted at home or at work as opposed to more deadly, drug-resistant strains acquired in nursing homes, jails and other institutional settings, including hospitals themselves.

Read Article The Los Angeles Times

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