Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the 200 patients included.
| Characteristics | No. (%) or Median |IQR] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All patients (n = 200 unless stated) | Pneumonia excluded (n = 67) | Pneumonia confirmed (n = 133) | |
| Demographics | |||
| Age (years) | 84 [79–90] | 86 [80–92] | 83 [78–89] |
| Female gender | 98 (49.0) | 38 (56.7) | 60 (45.1) |
| Active smoker, n(%) (n = 199) | 34 (17.0) | 7 (10.4) | 27 (20.3) |
| Living place | |||
| Home | 172 (86.0) | 55 (82.1) | 117 (88.0) |
| Nursing home | 21 (10.5) | 10 (15.0) | 11 (8.3) |
| Other | 7 (3.5) | 2 (2.9) | 5 (3.7) |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Cardiovascular disease | 103 (51.5) | 37 (55.2) | 66 (49.6) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 197) | 35 (17.8) | 9 (13.4) | 26 (20.0) |
| Chronic renal disease | 60 (30.0) | 24 (35.8) | 36 (27.1) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 31 (15.5) | 11 (16.4) | 20 (15.0) |
| Immunosuppressive therapy (n = 199) | 15 (7.5) | 3 (4.5) | 12 (9.0) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 45 (22.5) | 13 (19.4) | 32 (24.1) |
| Chronic liver disease | 11 (5.5) | 3 (4.5) | 8 (6.0) |
| Active cancer (n = 196) | 17 (8.7) | 3 (4.6) | 14 (10.7) |
| Swallowing disorders (n = 177) | 28 (15.8) | 9 (14.1) | 19 (16.8) |
| Poor oral health (n = 175) | 38 (21.7) | 11 (19.0) | 27 (23.1) |
| Cognitive impairment (n = 193) | 66 (34.5) | 27 (42.2) | 39 (30.7) |
| Scores | |||
| Charlson comorbidity index (n = 165) | |||
| Mean | 3 (1–10) | 3 (1–10) | 3 (1–9) |
| Score = 1, n(%) | 39 (23.6) | 14 (25.5) | 25 (22.7) |
| Score = 2, n(%) | 44 (26.7) | 16 (29.1) | 28 (25.5) |
| Score >2, n(%) | 82 (49.7) | 30 (45.4) | 57 (51.8) |
| Mini mental state examination n = 162) | 24 (19–27) | 22 (15–27) | 24 (19–27) |
| Mini nutritional assessment (n = 178) | 8 (6–11) | 8 (6–10) | 9 (6–11) |
| Symptoms and signs at admission | |||
| Confusion | 92 (46.0) | 32 (47.8) | 60 (45.1) |
| Falls | 71 (35.5) | 29 (43.3) | 42 (31.6) |
| Respiratory rate >20/min | 158 (79.4) | 49 (73.1) | 109 (82.6) |
| Fever (temperature >37.8 °C) | 103 (51.5) | 29 (43.3) | 84 (55.6) |
| Cough | 170 (85.0) | 50 (74.6) | 120 (90.2) |
| Sputum production | 74 (37.0) | 25 (37.3) | 49 (36.8) |
| Chest pain | 35 (17.5) | 9 (13.4) | 26 (19.5) |
| Dyspnea | 145 (72.5) | 50 (74.6) | 95 (71.4) |
| Crackles | 171 (85.5) | 57 (85.1) | 114 (85.7) |
| Oxygen saturation <90% | 102 (51.0) | 30 (44.8) | 72 (54.1) |
| Pulse rate >125/min | 13 (6.5) | 6 (8.9) | 7 (5.3) |
| SBP <90 mmHg or DBP < …60 mmHg | 34 (17.0) | 10 (14.9) | 24 (18.0) |
| Laboratory findings | |||
| Leukocytes (103 per mm3) | 11.0 [8.2–14.0] | 10.7 [7.9–13.1] | 11.3 [8.6–14.7] |
| Urea (mg.L-1) | 7.9 [6.0–11.9] | 8.3 [6.2–12.8] | 7.7 [5.7–10.8] |
| NT-proBNP (ng.L-1) | 1836.5 [666.8–3800.8] | 1884.0 [649.5–3550.0] | 1826.0 [685.5–3860.5] |
| Prealbumin (g.L-1) | 122.0 [95.0–162.0] | 131.0 [99.0–167.0] | 118.5 [86.7–157.2] |
| Albumin (g.L-1) | 35.0 [32.0–38.0] | 35.0 [32.0–37.0] | 35.0 [31.0–38.0] |
| C-reactive protein (mg.L-1) | 84.0 [45.8–159.7] | 62.7 [38.5–107.5] | 100.7 [59.0–205.2] |
| Procalcitonin (μg.L-1) | 0.3 [0.1–1.3] | 0.2 [0.1–0.7] | 0.4 [0.1–1.9] |
| Serum amyloid A (μg.L-1) | 265.0 [247.8–285.2] | 262.0 [231.8–278.0] | 267.5 [252.0–287.8] |
| Neopterin (nmol.L-1) | 7.6 [4.7–13.4] | 9.3 [5.9–14.0] | 6.6 [4.5–12.6] |
| Pathogen identified, n(%) | |||
| Bacterial | 22 (11.0) | 4 (6.0) | 18 (32.7) |
| Viral | 62 (31.0) | 25 (37.3) | 37 (67.3) |
| None | 116 (58.0) | 38 (56.7) | 78 (58.6) |
| Vaccination status, n(%) | |||
| Influenza vaccination (n = 182) | 103 (56.6) | 36 (63.2) | 67 (53.6) |
| Pneumococcal vaccination (n = 177) | 7 (3.9) | 2 (3.6) | 5 (4.1) |
| Disease severity, n(%) | |||
| PSI score | 102 [87–121] | 104 [87–121] | 98 [86–121] |
| CURB 65 | 2 [2–3] | 2 [2–3] | 2 [2–3] |
| CURB 65 >2 | 89 (44.5) | 28 (41.8) | 61 (45.9) |
| Outcome | |||
| 30-day mortality | 14 (7.0) | 4 (6.0) | 10 (7.5) |
| 90-day mortality (n = 198) | 29 (14.6) | 10 (14.9) | 19 (14.3) |
Laboratory values and vital signs were obtained at hospital admission.
Definitions: Immunosuppressive therapy: prednisone for more than two weeks; or receipt of other immunosuppressive drugs. Cognitive impairment was diagnosed after geriatrician evaluation (at least CDR 1 dementia). Swallowing disorders: observed during the hospitalization
Oral health rated as good, medium or poor
Abbreviations: CURB65 is a pneumonia severity score based on confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age 65 or older. DBP: diastolic blood pressure SBP: systolic blood pressure