Recent temporal trends, characteristics and outcomes of patients with non-COVID-19 community-acquired pneumonia at two tertiary hospitals in Australia: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) leads to considerable morbidity and mortality globally. However, data on CAP burden in Australia, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, are limited. AIMS: We characterised and assessed clinical outcomes of non-COVID-19 CAP hospitalisations over a 6-year period at two major hospitals in South Australia. METHODS: All non-COVID-19 CAP hospitalisations were identified using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth revision, Australian modification (ICD-10-AM) codes, between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2023, at two tertiary hospitals in Adelaide. Clinical outcomes included in-hospital and 30-day mortality, length of stay (LOS) in, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and 30-day readmissions. Multilevel regression models were utilised to identify predictors of clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Over the 6-year period, there were 7853 non-COVID-19 CAP hospitalisations, with a temporal increase from 100 per 100 000 population in 2018 to 208 per 100 000 population in 2023 (P < 0.001). The mean (SD) age was 75.1 (17.6) years, and 54.6% were males. The mean age declined over time (P < 0.05), while other characteristics remained stable. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most commonly identified bacterium (21.8% of cases). In-hospital mortality occurred in 7.8% of patients, with 30-day mortality and readmission rates of 14.3% and 16.9% respectively. LOS declined significantly during the pandemic years; however, mortality remained stable over time. Frailty status, malnutrition and number of comorbidities significantly predicted 30-day mortality and LOS, in addition to pneumonia severity and ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS: There has been an increasing trend of hospitalisations for non-COVID-19 CAP during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a concomitant trend towards shorter LOS and no significant shift in other clinical outcomes.

Efficacy and safety of vitamin C supplementation in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) poses a significant global health challenge, prompting exploration of innovative treatments. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin C supplementation in adults undergoing treatment for CAP. A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinical Trials.gov databases from inception to 17 November 2023 identified six randomized-controlled-trials (RCTs) meeting inclusion criteria. The primary outcome analysis revealed a non-significant trend towards reduced overall mortality in the vitamin C group compared to controls (RR 0.51; 95% CI 0.24 to 1.09; p = 0.052; I2 = 0; p = 0.65). Sensitivity analysis, excluding corona-virus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) studies and considering the route of vitamin C administration, confirmed this trend. Secondary outcomes, including hospital length-of-stay (LOS), intensive-care-unit (ICU) LOS, and mechanical ventilation, exhibited mixed results. Notably, heterogeneity and publication bias were observed in hospital LOS analysis, necessitating cautious interpretation. Adverse effects were minimal, with isolated incidents of nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and tachycardia reported. This meta-analysis suggests potential benefits of vitamin C supplementation in CAP treatment. However, inconclusive findings and methodological limitations warrants cautious interpretation, emphasising the urgency for high-quality trials to elucidate the true impact of vitamin C supplementation in CAP management.

Comparing Outcomes of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Patients Discharged from General Medicine and Respiratory Units in Australia: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Background/Objectives: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common emergency presentation in Australia, with the choice of admitting specialty unit often influenced by pneumonia severity and comorbidities. However, it remains unclear whether there are between-specialty differences in patient characteristics and outcomes. We sought to address this issue by investigating the characteristics and outcomes of CAP patients admitted to General Medicine (GM) versus Respiratory units. Methods: This retrospective observational study utilised data from the two largest metropolitan hospitals in South Australia, encompassing all non-COVID-19-related CAP admissions throughout 2021 to 2023. The hospital length of stay (LOS), in-patient and 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission rates were assessed by propensity score matching (PSM) using 17 variables. Results: Of the 3004 cases of non-COVID-19 CAP admitted across the two hospitals during the study period, 2673 (71.8%) were admitted under GM units and 331 (9.1%) under Respiratory units. GM patients were, on average, a decade older, presented with a significantly higher burden of comorbidities, exhibited a greater prevalence of frailty, and had higher pneumonia severity compared to those admitted under a Respiratory unit (p < 0.05). Unadjusted analysis revealed a shorter median LOS among GM-admitted patients (5.9 vs. 4.1 days, p < 0.001). After PSM adjustment, patients admitted under the Respiratory units had an 8-fold higher odds of a longer LOS compared to GM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 8.53, 95% CI 1.96-37.25, p = 0.004). Other clinical outcomes were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that GM units compared to Respiratory units provide efficient and safe care for patients requiring hospitalisation for CAP.

Role of vitamin C in treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adult patients requiring hospitalisation: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospitalisation and is associated with a high mortality. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and has been used in treatment of infections; however, its role as an adjunctive treatment in CAP is unclear. This review aims to assess the efficacy and safety of vitamin C in adults who require hospitalisation for CAP. METHODS AND ANALYSES: Searches will be conducted from inception to November 2023 on Ovid MEDLINE Daily and MEDLINE, Embase CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov databases with the aid of a medical librarian. We will include data from randomised controlled trials reporting vitamin C supplementation in patients with CAP requiring hospitalisation. Two independent reviewers will select studies, extract data and will assess the risk of bias by use of the Risk of Bias tool. The overall certainty of evidence will be assessed by use of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Random-effects meta-analyses will be conducted, and effect measures will be reported as relative risks with 95% CIs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No previous ethical approval is required for this review. The findings of this review will be submitted to a scientific journal and presented at an international medical conference. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: 483860.

The value of distinguishing patients with isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism presenting to two tertiary hospitals in Australia: an observational study.

Isolated-subsegmental-pulmonary-embolism (SSPE) is increasingly diagnosed with the use of computed-tomography-pulmonary-angiogram (CTPA). There remains clinical equipoise for management of SSPE with previous studies not accounting for frailty while determining clinical outcomes. Clinical outcomes among patients with isolated SSPE were compared with those with a more proximal PE after accounting for frailty and other risk-factors. This study included all patients with a positive CTPA for pulmonary embolism (PE) admitted between 2017 and 2021 to two Australian-tertiary-hospitals. Frailty was determined by use of the hospital-frailty-risk-score (HFRS). Competing-risk-analysis and Cox-proportional hazard models determined the cumulative-risk of VTE and mortality within 3 months and 1 year of index PE event after adjustment for frailty and other variables. Of 334 patients with positive CTPA for PE, 111 (33.2%) had isolated-SSPE. The mean (SD) age was 64.3 (17.7) years, 50.9% were males and 9.6% were frail. The risk of recurrent VTE within 3-months (0.9% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.458) and within 1-year of follow-up (2.7% vs. 6.3%, P = 0.126) did not differ significantly between patients with isolated SSPE and those with more proximal PE. After adjusted analyses, the cumulative-incidence of recurrent VTE was not different among patients with isolated SSPE within 1 year of index event [subdistribution-hazard-ratio (HR) 0.84, 95% CI 0.19 to 3.60]. Similarly, mortality within 1 year of index event was also not different between the two groups (aHR 1.72, 95% CI 0.92-3.23). The prevalence of SSPE was 33.2% and even after adjustment for frailty these patients had no different clinical outcomes than those with proximal PE.

Impact of Malnutrition on Clinical Outcomes of Acutely Hospitalised Heart Failure Patients at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Australia: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is common in patients with heart failure (HF) but is often neglected, despite guidelines suggesting that all hospitalised patients should undergo nutritional screening within 24-hours of admission. AIMS: This study investigated the nutritional screening rates and determined the immediate and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with HF admitted at two tertiary hospitals in Australia. METHODS: Nutritional screening was assessed by the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) completion rates. Patients were classified into two categories based on their MUST scores (0=low malnutrition risk and ≥1=at risk of malnutrition). Propensity-score-matching (PSM) was used to match 20 variables depending upon the risk of malnutrition. Clinical outcomes included the days-alive-and-out-of-hospital at 90 days of discharge (DAOH90), length of hospital stay, in-hospital, 30-day and 180-day mortality and 30-day readmissions. RESULTS: There were 5,734 HF admissions between 2013-2020, of whom, only 789 (13.8%) patients underwent MUST screening. The mean (SD) age was 76.2 (14.0) years and 51.9% were males. Five-hundred and fifty-four (554) (70.2%) patients were at low malnutrition risk and 235 (29.8%) at risk of malnutrition. In HF patients, who were at risk of malnutrition, the DAOH90 were lower by 5.9 days (95% CI -11.49 to -0.42, p=0.035) and 180-day mortality was significantly worse (coefficient 0.10, 95% CI 0.02-0.18, p=0.007) compared to those who were at low risk of malnutrition. However, other clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Nutrition screening is poor in hospitalised HF patients and long-term but not short-term clinical outcomes were worse in malnourished HF patients.

External Validation of the Hospital Frailty-Risk Score in Predicting Clinical Outcomes in Older Heart-Failure Patients in Australia.

Frailty is common in older hospitalised heart-failure (HF) patients but is not routinely assessed. The hospital frailty-risk score (HFRS) can be generated from administrative data, but it needs validation in Australian health-care settings. This study determined the HFRS scores at presentation to hospital in 5735 HF patients ≥ 75 years old, admitted over a period of 7 years, at two tertiary hospitals in Australia. Patients were classified into 3 frailty categories: HFRS < 5 (low risk), 5−15 (intermediate risk) and >15 (high risk). Multilevel multivariable regression analysis determined whether the HFRS predicts the following clinical outcomes: 30-day mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS) > 7 days, and 30-day readmissions; this was determined after adjustment for age, sex, Charlson index and socioeconomic status. The mean (SD) age was 76.1 (14.0) years, and 51.9% were female. When compared to the low-risk HFRS group, patients in the high-risk HFRS group had an increased risk of 30-day mortality and prolonged LOS (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.09; 95% CI 1.21−3.60) for 30-day mortality, and an aOR of 1.56 (95% CI 1.01−2.43) for prolonged LOS (c-statistics 0.730 and 0.682, respectively). Similarly, the 30-day readmission rate was significantly higher in the high-risk HFRS group when compared to the low-risk group (aOR 1.69; 95% CI 1.06−2.69; c-statistic = 0.643). The HFRS, derived at admission, can be used to predict ensuing clinical outcomes among older hospitalised HF patients.

Vitamin C deficiency in Australian hospitalised patients: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C has anti-oxidant properties and acts as a cofactor for several enzymes. Hypovitaminosis C has been associated with bleeding, endothelial dysfunction and death. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis C is unknown in Australian hospitalised patients, and its clinical relevance is uncertain. AIMS: To determine the prevalence, characteristics and clinical outcomes of hospitalised patients with hypovitaminosis C. METHODS: This observational study included general-medical inpatients in a tertiary-level hospital in Australia. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine plasma vitamin C levels. As per Johnston's criteria, vitamin C levels of ≥28 µmol/L were classified as normal and <28 µmol/L as low. Clinical outcomes determined included length of hospital stay (LOS), nosocomial complications, intensive care unit admission and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients participated in this study, and vitamin C levels were available for 149 patients, of whom 35 (23.5%) had normal vitamin C levels, and 114 (76.5%) had hypovitaminosis C. Patients with hypovitaminosis C were older and had higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Median LOS was 2 days longer in patients with hypovitaminosis C (6 days (interquartile range (IQR) 4, 8) vs 4 days (IQR 3, 6), P = 0.02), and they had fourfold higher odds of staying in hospital for >5 days than those with normal vitamin C levels. Other clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hypovitaminosis C is common in hospitalised patients and is associated with prolonged LOS. Further research is needed to ascertain the benefits of vitamin C supplementation in vitamin C-depleted patients.

Factors influencing early and late readmissions in Australian hospitalised patients and investigating role of admission nutrition status as a predictor of hospital readmissions: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Limited studies have identified predictors of early and late hospital readmissions in Australian healthcare settings. Some of these predictors may be modifiable through targeted interventions. A recent study has identified malnutrition as a predictor of readmissions in older patients but this has not been verified in a larger population. This study investigated what predictors are associated with early and late readmissions and determined whether nutrition status during index hospitalisation can be used as a modifiable predictor of unplanned hospital readmissions. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two tertiary-level hospitals in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: All medical admissions ≥18 years over a period of 1 year. OUTCOMES: Primary objective was to determine predictors of early (0-7 days) and late (8-180 days) readmissions. Secondary objective was to determine whether nutrition status as determined by malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) can be used to predict readmissions. RESULTS: There were 11 750 (44.8%) readmissions within 6 months, with 2897 (11%) early and 8853 (33.8%) late readmissions. MUST was completed in 16.2% patients and prevalence of malnutrition during index admission was 31%. Malnourished patients had a higher risk of both early (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.73) and late readmissions (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06 to 128). Weekend discharges were less likely to be associated with both early (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.91) and late readmissions (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97). Indigenous Australians had a higher risk of early readmissions while those living alone had a higher risk of late readmissions. Patients ≥80 years had a lower risk of early readmissions while admission to intensive care unit was associated with a lower risk of late readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is a strong predictor of unplanned readmissions while weekend discharges are less likely to be associated with readmissions. Targeted nutrition intervention may prevent unplanned hospital readmissions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTRN 12617001362381; Results.

Economic evaluation of an extended nutritional intervention in older Australian hospitalized patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of malnutrition in older hospitalized patients is 30%. Malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes in terms of high morbidity and mortality and is costly for hospitals. Extended nutrition interventions improve clinical outcomes but limited studies have investigated whether these interventions are cost-effective. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 148 malnourished general medical patients ≥60 years were recruited and randomized to receive either an extended nutritional intervention or usual care. Nutrition intervention was individualized and started with 24 h of admission and was continued for 3 months post-discharge with a monthly telephone call whereas control patients received usual care. Nutrition status was confirmed by Patient generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using EuroQoL 5D (EQ-5D-5 L) questionnaire at admission and at 3-months follow-up. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted for the primary outcome (incremental costs per unit improvement in PG-SGA) while a cost-utility analysis (CUA) was undertaken for the secondary outcome (incremental costs per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained). RESULTS: Nutrition status and HRQoL improved in intervention patients. Mean per included patient Australian Medicare costs were lower in intervention group compared to control arm (by $907) but these differences were not statistically significant (95% CI: -$2956 to $4854). The main drivers of higher costs in the control group were higher inpatient ($13,882 versus $13,134) and drug ($838 versus $601) costs. After adjusting outcomes for baseline differences and repeated measures, the intervention was more effective than the control with patients in this arm reporting QALYs gained that were higher by 0.0050 QALYs gained per patient (95% CI: -0.0079 to 0.0199). The probability of the intervention being cost-effective at willingness to pay values as low as $1000 per unit improvement in PG-SGA was > 98% while it was 78% at a willingness to pay $50,000 per QALY gained. CONCLUSION: This health economic analysis suggests that the use of extended nutritional intervention in older general medical patients is likely to be cost-effective in the Australian health care setting in terms of both primary and secondary outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN No. 12614000833662 . Registered 6 August 2014.

Malnutrition and its association with readmission and death within 7 days and 8-180 days postdischarge in older patients: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between admission nutritional status and clinical outcomes following hospital discharge is not well established. This study investigated whether older patients' nutritional status at admission predicts unplanned readmission or death in the very early or late periods following hospital discharge. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study prospectively recruited 297 patients ≥60 years old who were presenting to the General Medicine Department of a tertiary care hospital in Australia. Nutritional status was assessed at admission by using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) tool, and patients were classified as either nourished (PG-SGA class A) or malnourished (PG-SGA classes B and C). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to adjust for other covariates known to influence clinical outcomes and to determine whether malnutrition is a predictor for early (0-7 days) or late (8-180 days) readmission or death following discharge. OUTCOME MEASURES: The impact of nutritional status was measured on a combined endpoint of any readmission or death within 0-7 days and between 8 and 180 days following hospital discharge. RESULTS: Within 7 days following discharge, 29 (10.5%) patients had an unplanned readmission or death whereas an additional 124 (50.0%) patients reached this combined endpoint within 8-180 days postdischarge. Malnutrition was associated with a significantly higher risk of combined endpoint of readmissions or death both within 7 days (OR 4.57, 95% CI 1.69 to 12.37, P<0.001) and within 8-180 days (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.28, P=0.007) following discharge and this risk remained significant even after adjustment for other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition in older patients at the time of hospital admission is a significant predictor of readmission or death both in the very early and in the late periods following hospital discharge. Nutritional state should be included in future risk prediction models. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN No. 12614000833662; Post-results.

Validity of the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) in Australian hospitalized acutely unwell elderly patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study validated the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) for nutritional screening in acutely unwell elderly patients against a reference assessment tool - Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: One hundred and thirty two acutely admitted general medical patients contributed data for this study. In addition to performance of MUST and PG-SGA the following nutritional parameters were measured: weight loss >5% in previous 3-6 months, handgrip strength, triceps skinfold thickness, Mid-arm circumference, Mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC). Quality of life (QoL) was determined using the EuroQoL Questionnaire (EQ-5D 5 level). Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and concordance were calculated to validate MUST against PG-SGA. RESULTS: MUST when compared to PG-SGA gave a sensitivity of 69.7%, specificity of 75.8%, positive predictive value of 75.4%, negative predictive value of 70.1% and kappa statistics showed 72.7% agreement (k=0.49) for detecting malnutrition. The MUST score had significant inverse correlation with body mass index, Triceps skinfold thickness and Mid-arm muscle circumference but not with Handgrip strength. Malnourished patients (PG-SGA class B/C) were found to have a significantly worse QoL. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that MUST can be confidently administered with respect to validity in acutely unwell general medical elderly patients to detect malnutrition. In this study, significant recent weight loss also seems to have validity, almost comparable to MUST, for predicting the risk of malnutrition. Further research is needed to verify this finding, as a single item may be more feasible to complete than an instrument consisting of two or more items.

Malnutrition screening in acutely unwell elderly inpatients.

BACKGROUND: The rate of malnutrition among hospitalised elderly patients in Australia is 42.3%. Malnutrition is known to lead to significant adverse outcomes for the patients and increase hospital costs through increased use of resources. AIM: This study assessed nutrition screening adequacy and investigated factors associated with missed opportunity to diagnose malnutrition. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study involving 205 general medical patients aged ≥60 years admitted acutely in a tertiary hospital over a period of 1 year. Patients who were not given initial nutritional screening were noted and all patients underwent nutritional assessment. The researchers assessed demographic data and performed univariate analysis of factors responsible for missed nutritional screening. RESULTS: Only 99 patients (49.5%) were screened for malnutrition and 100 (50.3%) missed initial nutritional screening (data incomplete for 6 patients). Of those screened, more were malnourished (n=64; 61.5%) than those not screened (n=40; 38.5%), p<0.001. There was no significant difference in screening rates over the weekends and public holidays compared with weekdays (p=0.14). Time of day (p=0.03) and ward location (p=0.001) were significant factors, which determined nutrition screening. CONCLUSION: This study indicates common associations that might explain low inpatient screening rates for malnutrition; these include apparently adequate nutritional status, lower staff to patient ratios and outlier ward locations. Ensuring consistent nutrition screening with appropriate therapeutic interventions for patients and educational interventions for staff could pay dividends not only in terms of improved patient health but also in terms of hospital reimbursement.

Clinical participation of medical students in three contemporary training models.

OBJECTIVES: As community settings are being used increasingly in undergraduate medical programmes, this study aimed to explore and compare the clinical experiences of students in hospital-based and community-based training programmes. It measured students' clinical participation and compared the perspectives of Year 3 medical students in three different models of clinical education: a tertiary hospital block programme; a community hybrid programme, and a rural longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) programme. METHODS: The study used a mixed methodology approach to examine the clinical experiences of students through the analysis of logbooks and semi-structured student interviews. This involved the quantitative analysis of 88 logbook weeks, data from which were triangulated through the analysis of 101 individual interviews using grounded theory. RESULTS: A total of 35 students across the three different clinical training models participated in the study. The results demonstrate significant differences among the three models in students' clinical participation and suggest that community settings provide more opportunities to students for meaningful engagement in patient care activities. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent wider and more direct access to patients for students, as found in the community-based model, provides a pathway for engaging students in the learning processes, and a step towards making them aware of their learning needs and knowledge. Interviews provide evidence that authentic clinical activities can be enhanced through structured systems of supervision and through the provision of authentic roles for students in clinical teams.