Metabolic Disturbances Associated with In-Hospital Complication and Mortality in Different Types of Pneumonia

Bakground: The mortality rate from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is high, especially in hospitalized patients. This study aimed to assess the disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism with in-hospital complications and short-term outcomes for patients with pneumonia with different etiologies. Methods: This observational study comprised 398 patients divided as follows: 155 with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, 129 participants with viral CAP, and 114 with bacterial pneumonia. Results: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at admission and glycemic variation during hospitalization was linked with acute kidney injury (AKI) in bacterial CAP. Compared with a value <110 mg/dL for FPG at admission, levels between 110 and 126 mg/dL are associated with mortality in both COVID-19 (OR = 3.462, 95% CI: 1.275-9.398, p = 0.015) and bacterial CAP participants (OR = 0.254; 95% CI: 0.069-0.935, p = 0.039), while a value ≥126 mg/dL was linked with mortality only in patients with SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 3.577, 95% CI: 1.166-10.976, p = 0.026). No relation between lipid biomarkers and complications or in-hospital outcomes was observed in all three participant groups. Conclusions: Patients with bacterial CAP are more prone to developing AKI due to increased FBG at admission and glycemic variations during hospitalization, while elevated FBG values at admission are associated with mortality in both COVID-19 and bacterial CAP.