Is There an Effect of Early Mobilization of Patients With Community-acquired Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a common health problem. More than 100,000 Danes contract pneumonia every year, and around 15,000 of these are hospitalized. The main treatment is antibiotics. An American study indicates that patients who are mobilized early are hospitalized for a shorter period of time. The objective of the thesis is: to determine the effect of mobilization within 24 hours after hospitalization of patients with pneumonia. The result will be number of hospitalization days, rehospitalisation and mortality.

Patients with pneumonia hospitalized in the period 1 September 2012 - 28 February 2013 in the Medical Centre, lung unit 204B at Vendsyssel Hospital will be included in the project. Within the first 24 hours of hospitalization, they will be tested by a physiotherapist and mobilized.

There are significant costs associated with the treatment of patients with pneumonia - both economic costs and human costs. This thesis may clarify whether early mobilization influence the time these patients are hospitalized, whether they are rehospitalized and whether it is possible to reduce the mortality rate.