Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of patients with definitive PA, indeterminate PA, and non-PA pneumonia
| Variable | Culture Positive for PA |
Culture Negative for PA Non-PA Pneumonia (n = 2,545) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Definitive PA (n = 25) | Indeterminate PA (n = 131) | ||
| Sociodemographic characteristics | |||
| Age >65 yr | 20 (80) | 100 (76) | 1,836 (72) |
| Sex, M | 15 (60) | 87 (66) | 1,522 (60) |
| Nursing home resident | 3 (12) | 32 (24) | 334 (13) |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Hypertension | 10 (40) | 38 (29) | 1,070 (42) |
| Diabetes | 6 (24) | 32 (24) | 539 (21) |
| Collagen vascular disease | 5 (20) | 19 (15) | 173 (7) |
| Neuromuscular disease | 2 (8) | 24 (18) | 165 (6) |
| Past history of tuberculosis | 4 (16) | 4 (3) | 112 (4) |
| COPD/bronchiectasis | 14 (56) | 40 (31) | 500 (20) |
| Body mass index, 0–18.49 | 7 (28) | 48 (37) | 563 (22) |
| Performance status ≥2 | 4 (16) | 57 (44) | 419 (16) |
| Home oxygen therapy | 6 (24) | 24 (18) | 114 (4) |
| Medications before hospitalization | |||
| Chronic oral steroids | 3 (12) | 15 (11) | 151 (6) |
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 1 (4) | 6 (5) | 199 (8) |
| Immunosuppressants | 0 (0) | 4 (3) | 37 (1) |
| Prior hospitalization* | 6 (24) | 44 (36) | 402 (16) |
| History of pneumonia | 9 (36) | 56 (43) | 443 (17) |
| Clinical presentation | |||
| Aspiration episode | 2 (8) | 32 (24) | 423 (17) |
| Temperature, ≤34.9°C or ≥40°C | 1 (4) | 9 (7) | 46 (2) |
| Albumin, <3.5 g/dl | 13 (52) | 82 (63) | 1,159 (46) |
| Chest radiograph findings | |||
| X-ray, bilateral infiltration | 5 (20) | 26 (20) | 385 (15) |
| Pleural effusion | 1 (4) | 6 (5) | 127 (5) |
| CURB-65, ≥3 | 5 (20) | 41 (31) | 573 (23) |
Definition of abbreviations: COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PA = Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Data are presented as n (%). CURB-65 scores (Confusion, Urea >7 mmol/l, Respiratory rate ≥30/min, low systolic (<90 mm Hg) or diastolic (≤60 mm Hg) Blood pressure, age ≥65 years) was calculated and one point given for each feature present.
*
Hospitalization ≥2 days in the last 90 days.