Overview

Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by a bacteria, virus, or fungus. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States.

Over a half a million of these people are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people recover, approximately five percent will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States

 

 

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