Mortality and costs of pneumococcal pneumonia in adults: a cross-sectional study

Pneumococcal pneumonia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among adults. The study's main aim was to evaluate the in-hospital mortality and related costs of community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia in adults.

This cross-sectional study used medical records of adult patients with pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalized in a university hospital in Brazil from October 2009 to April 2017. All patients aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia were included. Risk factors, intensive care unit admission, length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, and direct and indirect costs were analyzed.

In total, 186 patients were selected. The mean in-hospital mortality rate was 18% for adults aged < 65 years and 23% for the elderly (≥ 65 years). Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia affected 20% of patients in both groups, mainly through chronic respiratory disease (adjusted OR: 3.07, 95% CI: 1.23-7.65, p < 0.01). Over 7 years, annual total direct and indirect costs were USD 28,188 for adults < 65 years (USD 1,746 per capita) and USD 16,350 for the elderly (USD 2,119 per capita).

Pneumococcal pneumonia remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among adults, significantly affecting direct and indirect costs. These results suggest the need for prevention strategies for all adults, especially for patients with chronic respiratory diseases.