earticle

영어

Purpose: There is considerable variability in rates of hospitalization for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in part because of physicians’uncertainty in assessing the severity of illness at presentation. The purpose of the study was to examine the current treatment patterns and factors influencing the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and clinical outcomes in the patient with CAP.
Method: The retrospective data collection of the patients with CAP was conducted and the data were reviewed. The collected data included demographic, clinical, laboratory and microbiological medical information. All patients were stratified into three risk groups according to PSI: low risk (PSI score I-II), moderate risk (III) and high risk (IV-V) groups. The examined treatment patterns were the appropriateness of admissions, category of antibiotics used. The prognostic factors associated with PSI and clinical outcomes were examined.
Results: One hundred and six patients’medical data were reviewed. The overall appropriateness of admissions was low presenting many of patients were admitted or intensely treated in the hospital despite of lower risk of prognosis and treated with intravenous antibiotics instead of oral fluoroquinolones. Primary pneumonia pathogens were Klebsiella pneumoniae (27%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (21.6%). Mean LOS was 8.5 days and was significantly longer (10.0 days) (p<0.001) in high risk group. The patients with age >65 (p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (p<0.001), mental alteration (p<0.001), and/or PaO2 <60 mmHg (p<0.001) had a tendency to have higher PSI. The prognostic factors associated with longer LOS were age >65 years (p=0.008), mental status alteration (p<0.001), dyspnea (p=0.002) and PSI score(p=0.001). The prognostic factors associated with mortality were congestive heart failure (p=0.038), systolic blood pressure<90 mmHg (p=0.002) and arterial pH <7.35 (p=0.013).
Conclusion: Most of patients were found to over-utilize medical service according to appropriateness of admissions. The elderly, mentally altered patients with low PaO2 had higher PSI score with increased risk of LOS. The mortality could be increased in the patient with disease state of congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and/or acidosis.