Medisur (Apr 2016)
Case Fatality among Patients Hospitalized for Community-acquired Pneumonia according to Initial Antibiotic Treatment. A Comparison of Two Case Series
Abstract
Background: community-acquired pneumonia is one of the major health problems worldwide and in the hospital of Cienfuegos.Objective: to determine the changes in the relationship between the type of antimicrobial agent used empirically at admission and case fatality for community-acquired pneumonia in two case series designed at different times.Methods: an observational, descriptive study was conducted to compare two case series of patients hospitalized due to the condition under study. The relationship between the antimicrobial agents selected (amoxicillin/sulbactam, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime) and case fatality was analyzed taking into account potentially confounding variables. In the statistical analysis, the Chi-square test was used to compare the proportions, and Fisher's exact test was applied, with a 95% confidence level (p <.05). Results: in the two case series, the same pattern was observed in terms of the antimicrobial agents associated with the lowest and highest case fatality: cefuroxime and cefotaxime, respectively. In contrast to the A series, the B series showed a more uniform behavior of case fatality with the use of the antimicrobials selected, which meant a considerable reduction in case fatality among patients treated initially with third-generation cephalosporins in the B series. In this sense, the most significant impact on case fatality was observed in patients receiving ceftriaxone.Conclusions: cefuroxime remains the initial empirical antimicrobial agent associated with the lowest case fatality among patients with community-acquired pneumonia. In the second case series, a clear reduction in case fatality was found in patients treated with ceftriaxone and cefotaxime.
