Abstract

Hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In the present study, prognostic value of older age in HAP was analyzed, and clinical, radiological, and laboratory parameters, bacteriological test results, mortality rates were compared between older and younger HAP groups. HAP patients of 80 years of age and older (n=30) showed similar results in duration of hospitalization, treatment time and mortality rates with HAP patients of 40 to 65 years of age (n=44). In both groups, cerebrovascular accident (CVA) was the most common comorbidity. The mean leukocyte count was lower in the older age group. The most common radiological finding was unilateral, patchy infiltration in both groups. Both groups presented with similar high mortality rates due to ventilator related pneumonia and similar types of isolated pathogens. In conclusion, co-existent CVA, ventilator treatment, and resistant strains in the hospital microbiological flora may be determinant factors in the progress of HAP.