Facility characteristics as independent prognostic factors of nursing home-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, the incidence of nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP) has been increasing and is now the leading cause of death among nursing home residents. This study was performed to identify risk factors associated with NHAP mortality, focusing on facility characteristics.

METHODS

Data on all patients ≥ 70 years of age admitted with newly diagnosed pneumonia were reviewed. To compare the quality of care in nursing facilities, the following three groups were defined: patients who acquired pneumonia in the community, care homes, and care hospitals. In these patients, 90-day mortality was compared.

RESULTS

Survival analyses were performed in 282 patients with pneumonia. In the analyses, 90-day mortality was higher in patients in care homes (12.2%, 40.3%, and 19.6% in community, care homes, and care hospitals, respectively). Among the 118 NHAP patients, residence in a care home, structural lung diseases, treatment with inappropriate antimicrobial agents for accompanying infections, and a high pneumonia severity index score were risk factors associated with higher 90-day mortality. However, infection by potentially drug-resistant pathogens was not important.

CONCLUSIONS

Unfavorable institutional factors in care homes are important prognostic factors for NHAP.