Epidemiology of patients hospitalised for pneumonia in 2011: a prospective multicentre cohort study.

Wenisch, Christoph; Weiss, Günter; Lechner, Arno; Meilinger, Michael; Rittler, Karl; Muzatko, Nina; Pomogyi, Beate; Kutilek, Mathilde; Bellmann-Weiler, Rosa; Fürst, Ursula-Maria; Andorfer, Alexander; Wenisch, Judith Maria

This study was conducted to investigate the age dependent epidemiology of pneumonia and risk factors for mortality. The data were derived from the Austrian Pneumonia Network (APNET), comprising nine Departments for Internal Medicine with a total of 1,011 hospital beds. All inpatients diagnosed with pneumonia during 2011 were followed until discharge. Identification of microorganisms was performed according to local standard methods. Data of patients < 65 years and ≥ 65 years were compared by Mann-Whitney and the Chi-square tests. Risk factors for hospital mortality were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Overall, 1,956 patients were included. The hospital mortality was 10.4 %, and was higher in patients ≥ 65 (12.7 %) than in patients < 65 years of age (5.0 %; p < 0.001). Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae was the most important pathogen. Enterobacteriacaeae were revealed significantly more often in patients ≥ 65 years. Age ≥ 65 years, chronic heart failure (CHF) and neurological disease increased the risk of hospital mortality 1.96 (95 % CI 1.19-3.20), 1.59 (95 % CI 1.10-2.29), and 1.7 (95 % CI 1.19-2.41)-fold, respectively. In conclusion, pneumonia patients with CHF, neurological disease and age ≥ 65 years could benefit from intensified care due to increased risk of in-hospital death.

RISK factors of pneumonia; PNEUMONIA-related mortality; EPIDEMIOLOGY; HOSPITAL patients; AGE factors in disease; MEDICAL statistics; COHORT analysis

Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, 2013, Vol 125, Issue 19/20, p621

0043-5325

Academic Journal

10.1007/s00508-013-0419-y