Abstract
Background: Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) is a common and costly cause of hospitalization. Although severe CABP (sCABP) occurs in 10-25% of all pneumonia hospitalizations, little generalizable data examine its characteristics and outcomes or hospital resource utilization. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-group cohort study of adults within the IQVIA hospital Charge Data Master, 2018-2022. We identified CABP via an ICD-10 code algorithm and sCABP was defined as an episode requiring ICU care. We examined baseline characteristics and outcomes, including mortality, costs, and readmission rates. We developed models to identify risk factors associated with readmissions. Results: Among 24,149 patients with sCABP, 14,266 (58.4%) were ≥65 years old and 55.2% were male. The majority were hospitalized in large (300+ beds, 50.9%), urban (91.9%) teaching (62.7%) institutions in the US Southern region (52.3%). The mean (SD) Charlson Comorbidity Index was 1.35 (2.33). The most common comorbidities were hypertension (16.7%), diabetes mellitus (15.7%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (12.9%). Hospital mortality was 15.9%. The mean (SD) hospital length of stay (LOS) and costs were 13.6 (12.1) and USD 91,965 (USD 133,734), respectively. An amount of 20% required a readmission within 30 days. Readmission was most strongly associated with older age and the presence of select comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, and COPD), each with an odds ratio > 1.4 and 95% confidence intervals excluding 1.0. Conclusions: Patients with sCABP comprise a large population with high mortality and 30-day readmissions. The intrinsic factors related to the latter lend themselves to early recognition and aggressive efforts at reducing complications.