Prognosis
With treatment, most types of bacterial pneumonia will stabilize in 3–6 days. It often takes a few weeks before most symptoms resolve. X-ray finding typically clear within four weeks and mortality is low (less than 1%). In the elderly or people who have other lung problems recover may take more than 12 week. In persons who require hospitalization mortality may be as high as 10% and in those who require intensive care it may reach 30–50%. Pneumonia is the most common hospital-acquired infection that results in death. Before the advent of antibiotics, mortality was typically 30% in those who where hospitalized.
Complications may occur particularly in the elderly and those with underlying health problems. This may include, among others: empyema, lung abscess, bronchiolitis obliterans, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and worsening of underlying health problems.
Read more about this topic: Pneumonia