Abstract
The proportion of cases of aspiration pneumonia to total cases of pneumonia increases with age. The number of elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia is expected to continuously rise. In this study, we investigated patient risk factors influencing elderly patients to enter health facilities after hospital discharge among elderly patients hospitalized for developing aspiration pneumonia at home. The study involved 23,781 patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to hospitals due to aspiration pneumonia between April 2018 and March 2019. Patients were grouped into those “discharged from hospital and returned home” and those “entered health facilities after discharge”. Patient characteristics from each group were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test and chi-square test. We examined the relationship between patient factors and places chosen after discharge. We used logistic regression analysis to control the covariates. “Age 75 to 84”, “age 85 and older”, “activities of daily living (ADL)”, “dangerous behavior”, “tube feeding”, “central venous hyperalimentation”, “circulatory or respiratory care”, “drainage management”, “dangerous behavior and tube feeding”, “circulatory or respiratory care and pressure ulcer”, and “increased need for medical care” influenced entering health facilities (area under the curve=0.76, p<0.01). ADL and medical treatment were identified as key factors.
