[Factors related to mortality of aged patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia].
BACKGROUND
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) frequently determines inpatient treatment and has a high mortality. It is desirable to know which factors predicts a favorable outcome of elderly patients with CAP. This fact could allow that a growing number of patients could be treated in their home.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the variables related with the survival of hospitalized elderly patients for with CAP.


METHODS
We carried out a retrospective study of 158 patients aged more than 65 years, that were admitted to our hospital for CAP.


RESULTS
Mean age was 80.3 +/- 8.2 years (66-98 years). Eighty nine (56%) patients were men and 69 (44%) were women. Twenty seven patients (17%) died during their stay in the hospital. By multivariate analysis, independent variables associated with survival were: confusion (p = 0.0001), treatment with H2 receptor antagonists (p = 0.01), respiratory frequency (above 30 per minute, p = 0.01) and arterial pH (below 7.40, p = 0.03). Sensibility and specificity about prediction of survival in elderly patients with PAC who hadn't any variables above pointed out were 0.89 and 0.64, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Application of this results could help physicians make decisions about hospitalization for elderly patients with PAC.
Servicio de Medicina Interna III, Clínica Puerta de Hierro, Madrid.
A
A
Ramos Martínez
J L
JL
Portero Navío
P
P
Sanz Carabaña
J
J
Dols Juste
I
I
Millán Santos
J
J
Murillas Angoiti
T
T
Gazapo Navarro
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies