title: [Characteristics and epidemiological changes for patients with community-acquired pneumonia in hospital emergency departments].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this paper is to determine both the prevalence of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the A & E Department and the most relevant epidemiological changes in the last decade, as well as the profile and management of these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional analysis at 49 Spanish A & E Departments during 12 months. All patients with infections, respiratory infection or CAP diagnosis were included. All patients attended to in A & E during the study were recorded as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CAP has increased its prevalence among patients in the A & E Departments in the past decade (0.85% to 1.35%, p <0.001). Fifty-one per cent were over 70 years old. Sixty-nine point eight per cent had some underlying disease and 17.8% had risk factors. Eleven point seven per cent met sepsis criteria, 4.6% severe sepsis and 3% septic shock. Thirty-seven per cent of patients were directly discharged from the A & E Departments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The impact and prevalence of CAP in A & E Departments has increased in the last decade. It is the most common cause of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock, admission to intensive care units and death due to infectious disease.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urgencias, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo, Toledo, 45004 Spain. agustinj@sescam.jccm.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Julián Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urgencias, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González del Castillo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez Ortiz de Zárate
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Candel González
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piñera Salmerón
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Moya Mir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult