Community-acquired Pneumonia among Elderly Patients Admitted to the Department of Medicine in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia is an acute infection of lung tissue in an immunocompetent patient who have not recently been hospitalized or has been hospitalized for less than 48 hours and acquired it in the community. It continues to have a substantial effect on the elderly, who are impacted more often and severely than younger groups. It is the third most common hospital diagnosis in adults over the age of 65 years, and the sixth major cause of mortality in developed nations. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of community-acquired pneumonia among elderly patients admitted to the Department of Medicine in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the Department of Medicine in a tertiary care centre where data were collected from 1 December 2021 and 1 December 2022 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 465/2079/80). Data on community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly was collected from the hospital records. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 385 patients, community-acquired pneumonia was seen in 14 (3.64%) (1.77-5.51, 95% Confidence Interval) with a mean age of 70.57±10.21 years. Conclusions: The prevalence of community-acquired pneumonia among elderly patients was found to be lower compared to other studies conducted in similar settings.