Community-Acquired Pneumonia Risk Factors in the Elderly

Virginia Sánchez Hernández; Marissa González López; Eduardo Quintero Aguirre; Rosalía Patricia Sánchez Hernández

2002, Number 5

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Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc 2002; 40 (5)

Community-Acquired Pneumonia Risk Factors in the Elderly

Sánchez HV, González LM, Quintero AE, Sánchez HRP

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Language: Spanish
References: 19
Page: 387-392
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ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess and establish the most common risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly. Study site: Zone 1-A General Hospital, México, D. F. Method: The study was conducted among elderly adults (aged 60 years and older) admitted to the Internal Medicine Department with confirmed community-acquired pneumonia. Diagnosis of pneumonia was based on clinical and radiologic findings. The frequency of risk factors was observed, including age and sex, Folstein’s minimental test and Guigoz’s nutritional examination were also assessed. We excluded death caused by human immunodeficiency virus infection and infections that occurred in patients undergoing chemotherapy-radiotherapy treatment. Study design: A prospective, descriptive, longitu-dinal, observational study. Results: A total of 6854 elderly patients were admitted to the Internal Medicine Department in a 12-month period, and 263 fulfilled the criteria of acquired-community pneumonia (127 men, 136 women). A total of 85 (32 %) deaths occurred in the study and the leading risk factors were as follows: smoking OR 11.01 (p ‹ 0.05); type 2 diabetes mellitus OR 8.23 (p ‹ 0.05); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) OR 5.33 (p ‹ 0.05); stroke sequela OR 4.53 (p ‹ 0.05), and chronic renal impairment OR 3.48 (p ‹ 0.05). The most commonly bacteria isolated from sputum cultures were Gram-positive cocci (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus viridans), Gram-negative (Pseudomona aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp.), and fungi (Candida albicans). Conclusions: The leading risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly were smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke sequelae, chronic renal impairment, and COPD. Co-morbidity played an important, role in this study and results are similar to those reported in the world literature.

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