Epidemiologic trends in the hospitalization of elderly Medicare patients for pneumonia, 1991-1998

Abstract

Objectives: This study determined hospitalization rates of elderly Americans for pneumonia from 1991 through 1998.

Methods: Epidemiologic data were described for 273,143 pneumonia hospitalizations.

Results: Annual hospitalizations for aspiration pneumonia increased by 93.5%. Pneumonia hospitalization rates increased steeply with age, especially among men. Black men were at highest risk for aspiration, unspecified, Klebsiella, "other gram-negative," and staphylococcal pneumonia; White men had the highest Haemophilus and pneumococcal pneumonia rates. Among women, Blacks predominated in aspiration and Klebsiella pneumonia; Whites had the highest Haemophilus and bronchopneumonia rates.

Conclusions: An epidemic of hospitalization for aspiration pneumonia smoldered over 8 years. Significant disparities existed in hospitalization risks by race, sex, and principal diagnosis.