The prevalence and development of anemia in community- acquired pneumonia patients and its association with the duration of hospitalization and mortality

Background despite advances in diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a significant cause of mortality. In critically ill hospitalized patients, mortality rates range from 5% to as high as 30–50%. There is an increasing interest in studying the anemia prevalence among hospitalized patients and its consequences in comorbidity and mortality. Considering that CAP is the second leading cause of hospital admission, this study investigates the prevalence and progression of anemia in CAP patients, and its association with hospital stay, mortality, and pneumonia severity. Methods This prospective observational study analyzed 60 patients admitted to the hospital with CAP, classified according to the pneumonia severity index (PSI). Hemoglobin levels were measured on the day of admission, the fourth day, the seventh day, and at discharge. Anemia was categorized into five categories: no anemia, mild anemia (Hgb 12-10g/dl), moderate (Hgb 10-8g/dl), severe (Hgb 7.9-6.5g/dl), and life threatening (Hgb < 6.5 g/dl). We examined the relationship between anemia and hospital stay duration, pneumonia severity, incidence of complication, mortality, and gender. Results Anemia was prevalent in 86.7% of patients hospitalized with CAP. Although our data did not show new development of anemia during hospitalization, the study found that anemia was associated with longer hospital stay, higher pneumonia severity, increased complications rate, and higher mortality rate of 11.9% overall. Conclusion Anemia in CAP patients is not merely a comorbidity but is associated with poor prognosis and increased risk for complications and mortality.