The Burden of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Elderly: The Spanish EVAN-65 Study
Author Information
Author(s): Ochoa-Gondar Olga, Vila-Córcoles Angel, de Diego Cinta, Arija Victoria, Maxenchs Monica, Grive Montserrat, Martin Enrique, Pinyol Josep L, EVAN-65 Study Group
Primary Institution: Institut Català de la Salut, Tarragona, Spain
Hypothesis
What is the incidence and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia among Spanish elderly individuals?
Conclusion
Community-acquired pneumonia remains a significant health issue for older adults, with incidence rates comparable to those in Northern Europe and America.
Supporting Evidence
- The incidence rate of overall CAP was 14 cases per 1,000 person-year.
- Incidence increased dramatically by age, with rates of 9.9 in people 65–74 years and 29.4 in people 85 years or older.
- Hospitalisation rate for CAP was 75.1%, with a mean length of stay of 10.4 days.
- The overall 30-days case-fatality rate was 13%, with 15% in hospitalised cases and 2% in outpatient cases.
Takeaway
This study looked at how many older people get pneumonia and how many die from it. It found that a lot of older people get sick from pneumonia, and it can be very serious.
Methodology
A prospective cohort study followed 11,240 individuals aged 65 and older from January 2002 to April 2005, assessing incidence and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia.
Potential Biases
The selection of participating health centers was not randomized, which may introduce bias.
Limitations
The study may have under-identified cases of outpatient pneumonia and is limited to a single geographic area, which may not represent the entire Spanish population.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 43.5% males, with 55.2% aged 65–74 years and 10.5% aged 85 years or older.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 12.7 to 15.3
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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