During 1993 and 1994, the Hospital Infection Society conducted its Second National Prevalence Survey of infections in patients in British hospitals. The prevalence rates for hospital-acquired (HA) and community-acquired (CA), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) were 2.4% and 6.1%, respectively; this shows an increase over that reported in the First National Prevalence Study. The prevalence rate of HA infections for ventilated patients was 18.6%. The prevalence was greater in males, odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) for HA-LRTIs (1.4, 1.1–1.6) and CA-LRTIs (1.2, 1.1–1.3) than in females. In the case of both HA-LRTIs and CA-LRTIs, there was an increase in prevalence in patients with age >75 years, (HA-LRTIs 1.7, 1.3–2.2; CA-LRTIs 1.7, 1.0–2.7). Results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed an increased risk of HA-LRTIs in patients who had a nasogastric tube (3.6, 2.3–3.6), were ventilated (2.3, 1.6–3.2), trauma patients (2.2, 1.5–3.0), chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), (1.9, 1.5–2.3), a tracheostomy (1.9, 1.3–2.7), prior blood transfusion (1.5, 1.2–1.8), smokers (1.4, 1.1–1.6) or on systemic corticosteroid therapy (OR 1.3, 1.1–1.6). Community-acquired LRTIs were positively associated with cystic fibrosis (33.7, 19.1–59.3), HIV (9.8, 6.5–14.8), COAD (4.8, 3.8–4.8), systemic corticosteroid therapy (2.5, 2.2–2.8), tracheostomy (1.8, 1.1–2.9), males (1.2, 1.1–1.3) and smoking (1.2, 1.1–1.4).

Neurofibromatosis has been known to involve blood vessels throughout the body.Pulmonary involvement with interstitial fibrosing alveolitis has been described but no case of pulmonary vascular involvement has been reported to date.A 51 year old patient with cutaneous neurofibromatosis is described who presented with severe pulmonary hypertension and radiographic, scintigraphic, and angiographic evidence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.Severe intimal fibrosis consistent with vascular involvement with neurofibromatosis was found on endarterectomy with no evidence of pulmonary thromboembolism.Neurofibromatosis of pulmonary arteries should be considered as a possible cause of pulmonary hypertension.