Epidemiology, antibiotic therapy, and clinical outcomes in health care-associated pneumonia: A UK cohort study

Abstract

Background. The recently introduced concept of health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP), referring to patients with frequent healthcare contacts and at higher risk of contracting resistant pathogens, is controversial. Methods. This prospective observational study recorded the clinical features, microbiology, and outcomes in a UK cohort of hospitalized patients with pneumonia. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders when determining the impact of HCAP on clinical outcomes. Results. A total of 20.5% of patients met the HCAP criteria. HCAP patients were older than patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) (median 76 y, IQR 65-83 vs 65 y, IQR 48-77; P