title: The burden of pneumococcal pneumonia - experience of the German competence network CAPNETZ.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pneumococcal pneumonia is still an important cause of mortality. The objective of this study was to compare frequency, clinical presentation, outcome and vaccination status of patients with pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to CAP due to other or no detected pathogen based on data of the German Network for community-acquired pneumonia (CAPNETZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic, clinical and diagnostic data were recorded using standardized web-based data acquisition. Standardized microbiological sampling and work-up were conducted in each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  7400 patients with CAP from twelve clinical centers throughout Germany were included. In 2259 patients (32 %) a pathogen was identified, Streptococcus pneumonia being the most frequent (n = 676, 30 % of all patients with identified pathogens). Compared to those with non-pneumococcal pneumonia, patients with pneumococcal pneumonia were more frequently admitted to hospital (80 % vs. 66 %, p < 0.001), had higher CURB score values on admission, had more frequently pleural effusion (19 % vs. 14 %, p = 0.001) and needed more frequently oxygen insufflation (58 % vs. 44 %, p < 0.001). There was no relevant difference in overall mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pneumococcal pneumonia was associated with a more severe clinical course demanding more medical resources as compared to non-pneumococcal pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Pletz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Baum
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schütte
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suttorp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Welte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019058:Community Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D055815:Young Adult