Risk factors for 3-month mortality in bedridden patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia: A multicentre prospective study

BACKGROUND: Mortality among patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is quite high; however, information on risk factors for short-term mortality in this population remains limited. The aim of the current study was to identify the risk factors for mortality in bedridden patients with HAP during a 3-month observation period. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted. In total, 1141 HAP cases from 25 hospitals were included in the analysis. Univariate and multilevel regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for mortality. RESULTS: During the 3-month observation period, there were 189 deaths among bedridden patients with HAP. The mortality rate in this study was 16.56%. Multilevel regression analysis showed that ventilator-associated pneumonia (OR = 2.034, 95%CI: 1.256, 3.296, p = 0.004), pressure injuries (OR = 2.202, 95%CI: 1.258, 3.852, p = 0.006), number of comorbidities (OR = 1.076, 95%CI: 1.016,1.140, p = 0.013) and adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index score (OR = 1.210, 95%CI: 1.090, 1.343, p<0.001) were associated with an increased risk of mortality, while undergoing surgery with general anaesthesia (OR = 0.582, 95%CI: 0.368, 0.920, p = 0.021) was associated with a decreased risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of risk factors associated with mortality is an important step towards individualizing care plans. Our findings may help healthcare workers select high-risk patients for specific interventions. Further study is needed to explore whether appropriate interventions against modifiable risk factors, such as reduced immobility complications or ventilator-associated pneumonia, could improve the prognoses.