Evidence-based On-call

Community-acquired pneumonia

Prognosis

Death is common, ^a

particularly if your patient is ^b

Note:

One in twenty patients with community-acquired pneumonia die (4.9%: 95% CI: 4.1% to 5.8%) ^a

Many elderly patients, nursing home residents and patients in an ICU die

type of patient ^b	% dead (95% CI)	NNF (95% CI)
death if hospitalised and ambulatory	5.1% (4.2% to 6.0%)	20 (17 to 24)
death if hospitalised	14% (13% to 14%)	7 (7 to 8)
death if elderly	18% (15% to 20%)	6 (5 to 7)
death if bacteraemic	20% (18% to 22%)	5 (5 to 6)
death if a nursing home resident	31% (27% to 35%)	3 (3 to 4)
death if in an intensive care unit	37% (33% to 40%)	3 (3 to 3)