Bob Hope Home From Hospital
Sept. 6 -- Bob Hope is out of the hospital and recovering after a week and a half of treatment for a mild case of pneumonia, a potentially deadly illness.
Hope, 98, accompanied by his wife, left Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif., today, The Associated Press reported.
Dr. Lee Kagan said Hope was "doing fine and eating well. … However, it will be several more weeks before he is fully recovered from his illness."
Hope entered the hospital on Aug. 26 after having trouble breathing. A slight fever postponed an expected release on Monday.
‘Old Man’s Friend’
Every year, pneumonia, most commonly caused by the bacteria S. pneumoniae, strikes half a million Americans, killing 40,000. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the No. 1 cause of death due to hospital-acquired infections.
In the 1800s, pneumonia was called the "old man's friend," because it sometimes ended the suffering of the old and sick.
The elderly are more likely to contract pneumonia, and more likely to die from it than the rest of the population. According to Dr. Mark Shelly at the University of Rochester, a person over 65 is two times as likely to die from pneumonia as an otherwise healthy 45-year-old.
Age is not the only factor that increases the risk of death. Pneumonia can be a life-threatening illness if a patient has heart disease or weakened immune system.
In many cases, complications during hospitalization can be just as dangerous as the initial infection. For example, a patient's intravenous site may become infected, or inactivity can lead to blood clots in the leg, which can break free and block blood flow to the lungs. Both of these possibilities can prove fatal in the sick or elderly.
Prevention Through Vaccination
The number of deaths could be cut in half through the use of a pneumonia vaccine, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
The problem is that not enough elderly people are being vaccinated. The cost of the vaccination is covered by Medicare, which means it is free for the patient. The trouble is that doctors are poorly reimbursed for giving the vaccine.
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