As cold and flu season approaches Chilton Memorial Hospital stresses the importance of increased protection against pneumonia. With cold and flu season approaching, the public should be aware that pneumonia could also pose a problem in the cold weather months and take steps to protect themselves against it. Pneumonia is an infection or inflammation of the lungs, which makes it difficult for the body to get adequate oxygen. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States among people over the age of 65, who are most at risk for the infection. Chilton Memorial Hospital recently received a 92 percent compliance score for pneumonia care in the 2005 New Jersey Hospital Performance Report, presented by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. This ranking placed the hospital within the state’s top 10 percent. Chilton Memorial Hospital’s infectious disease specialist Dr. Richard Krieger will lead a program “Is it Pneumonia?” on Friday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. at the Wayne Public Library, 461 Valley Road in Wayne. Those most at risk for pneumonia are older people, smokers, and people with underlying illnesses, such as chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure, people taking high doses of steroid medication, people with cancer or undergoing chemotherapy, and people who have had their spleen removed.