Types of Pneumonia

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Aspiration Pneumonia:
Aspiration Pneumonia results when food, drink, vomit, secretions or other foreign material is inhaled and causes an inflammatory response in the lungs and bronchial tubes.
Aspiration Pneumonia occurs predominantly in the right lung because its total capacity is greater than that of the left lung .

Atypical Pneumonia:
This term refers of Pneumonia caused by the following bacteria: Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
Atypical pneumonia is caused by bacteria and does not respond to the normal antibiotics used for treatment.

Bacterial Pneumonia:
Bacterial Pneumonia occurs when pneumonia-causing bacteria masses and multiplies in the lungs. The alveoli become inflamed and pus is produced, which spreads around the lungs. The bacteria that caused Bacterial Pneumonia are: streptococcus pneumonia, hemophilus influenza, legionella pneumophilia and staphylococcus aureus.

Bronchial Pneumonia:
Bronchopneumonia is “a descending infection starting around the bronchi and bronchioles” (Nurse’s dictionary, Twenty-third edition, 2000). The terminal bronchioles become blocked with exudates and form consolidated patches. This results in atelectasis.

Community-acquired Pneumonia:
This means the infection was acquired at home.
With this type of pneumonia the most common cause is
'Streptococcus Pneumonia'

Hospital-acquired Pneumonia:
Patients develop features after being in hospital for 24 hours or longer
Infectious agent is often Gram-negative bacteria such as 'Escherichia coli or Klebsiella'

Mycoplasmal Pneumonia: (also known as 'walking pneumonia')
It is similar to bacterial pneumonia, whereby the mycoplasmas proliferate and spread - causing infection (healthscout.com).

Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia:
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is the result of a fungal infection in the lungs caused by the Pneumocystis carinii fungus.
This fungus does not cause illness in healthy individuals, but rather in those with a weakened immune system. (Health-cares.net, 2005).

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP):
This type of pneumonia usually occurs two days after a hospitalised patient has been intubated and been receiving mechanical ventilation.
This is especially a life-threatening infection as patients who require mechanical support are already critically ill.

Viral Pneumonia:
Viral Pneumonia is believed to be the cause of half of all pneumonias. The viruses invade the lungs and then multiply- causing inflammation (healthscout.com).