Hospital admissions of adults with community-acquired pneumonia in Portugal between 2000 and 2009

Abstract

Recent studies in the USA and northern Europe have shown an increase in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In southern Europe this increase has not yet been documented.

We carried out a retrospective analysis from encoded information from the Portuguese database for hospital admissions which included all individuals aged 18 or above, with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia, who were discharged between 2000 and 2009. We excluded patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, immunocompromised individuals as a result of anti-cancer or immunosuppressive treatment and transplant recipients.

Of the 294 027 admissions for CAP, 56% were male. The average age was 73.1 and the median age 77. Between 2000 and 2009 there was a 5% increase in the average age of patients admitted with CAP.

Admissions for CAP represented 3.7% of total admissions of adult patients. The average annual rate of hospital admissions for adults with CAP was 3.61 per 1000 total population, rising to 13.4% for those>65. From 2000–2004 and 2005–2009 the average annual rate of hospital admission for CAP per 1000 population increased 28.2%.

Hospital admissions for CAP in Portugal increased between 2000 and 2009. It has grown consistently over time varying according to age with males overrepresented.