How Has the Aspergillosis Case Fatality Rate Changed over the Last Two Decades in Spain?

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Infectious Diseases Epidemiology
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Invasive aspergillosis poses a significant health threat, particularly to immunocompromised individuals.
• Mortality trends for aspergillosis in Spain have not been well-documented.
• Understanding aspergillosis lethality is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the case fatality rate (CFR) of invasive aspergillosis among hospitalized patients in Spain.
• To analyze trends in aspergillosis-related mortality from 1997 to 2017.
• To identify factors influencing mortality in aspergillosis patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective descriptive study design.
• Utilized inpatient records from the Spanish National Health System.
• Analyzed data from 32,960 patients diagnosed with aspergillosis between 1997 and 2017.

Main Results:

• Overall mortality for aspergillosis was 24.5%, with higher rates in men and increasing with age.
• The case fatality rate demonstrated a decreasing trend, from over 25% in 1997-1998 to approximately 20.7% in 2016-2017.
• Concomitant influenza or pneumonia significantly elevated aspergillosis mortality rates.

Conclusions:

• Aspergillosis lethality in Spain has decreased over the past two decades, indicating improved patient outcomes.
• Patients with solid or hematological cancers did not exhibit significantly higher mortality than those with influenza or pneumonia alone.
• Further research is needed to elucidate specific mortality causes and the impact of COVID-19 on aspergillosis outcomes.