Impact of initial empirical antimicrobial choice and cause of in-hospital death in patients with nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP): A retrospective study

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Objectives: To examine the differences in antimicrobial selection outcomes in nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) patients with and without risk factors for drug-resistant pathogen (RDRP) infection, and to identify the cause of in-hospital death after improvement of NHCAP.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of hospitalized adult patients with NHCAP. NHCAP patients were divided into the RDRP and non-RDRP groups. The RDRP group was further classified into the narrow and broad subgroups according to the type of empirical antimicrobial agent selected. The difference in mortality between these subgroups was then examined. The cause of all in-hospital deaths was also evaluated.

Results: We evaluated 220 patients with NHCAP. There was no difference in mortality between the narrow and broad subgroups (11.8% vs. 15.4%, p=0.655). Among the group with improved NHCAP, 11.3% (n=23/203) died in hospital before discharge. Although the causes of death in patients who improved after NHCAP were diverse, the most common was recurrence of pneumonia.

Conclusions: Empirical antimicrobial therapy for NHCAP may not always require selection of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents, as has been previously reported. Patients with NHCAP may die from other causes, even after NHCAP has improved.