Definition of hospital‐acquired pneumonia and characteristics of guidelines in Japan

SUMMARY • Hospital‐acquired pneumonia is defined as pneumonia that appears for the first time within 48 h of hospital admission. Special care is needed in treatment because of poor patient conditions, including the underlying disorder, immunocompetence and general status. • The 2002 hospital‐acquired pneumonia guidelines were reviewed, and the current revisions were made based on those findings with the aim of producing simple and practical guidelines. • Differences are seen between hospital‐acquired pneumonia in the USA and Japan, and hospital‐acquired pneumonia treatment guidelines matched to circumstances in Japan were considered necessary.