Epidemiological survey on incidence and treatment of community acquired pneumonia in Italy.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate annual incidence of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in an Italian general population sample.


METHODS
Two hundred and eighty-seven family practitioners (64.6% of those selected) recorded suspected or ascertained CAP cases for 1 year. Information on smoking habit, respiratory symptoms and signs, co-morbidity, antibiotic and corticosteroid therapy, hospitalization, mortality and recovery were obtained.


RESULTS
Six hundred and ninety-nine case forms were collected (53.1% females, mean age 59.6+/-19.5, 20.6% smokers). CAP incidence rates per 1000 population were: 1.69 in men vs. 1.71 in women; 2.33 in the North vs. 1.29 in the Centre-South of Italy; between 0.73 in 14-, and 3.34 in 64+year-old subjects. Main symptoms and signs were cough (73.3%), crackles (72.8%), dullness (57.3%), asthenia (53.4%). 59.5% of subjects had concurrent diseases, mostly cardiac and respiratory. 77.2% of cases had chest X-ray (with parenchymal density in 90.6%). Phlegm microbiological examination was performed in 12.8% of cases. First choice antibiotics were cephalosporins (45.8%), macrolides (20.2%), other beta-lactams (18.6%), and fluoroquinolones (12.2%). Rates of hospitalization and of mortality were 31.8% and 6.0%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed that the annual CAP incidence rate in the general population of South Europe is about 2 per 1000 population and showed a wide choice of antibiotic treatment.
Viegi
Giovanni
G
Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology Unit, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
Pistelli
Riccardo
R
Cazzola
Mario
M
Falcone
Franco
F
Cerveri
Isa
I
Rossi
Andrea
A
Ugo Di Maria
Giuseppe
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents