Risk Factor for Readmission and Death of Lower Respiratory Infections in Older Adults

Lower respiratory tract infection(LRTI) is a prevalent disease that threatens the health of older people worldwide. Anemia is also a common disorder in the elderly, and its prevalence increases significantly with age. Most factors that contribute to the development of anemia are improvable. Therefore, we investigated whether anemia was a risk factor for LRTI-caused readmission and death in the elderly occurring within 1 year of discharge from the hospital.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of anemia on readmission and deaths in the older adults following lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI)-caused hospitalization. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting and Participants: Older patients (age: ≥ 80 years) hospitalized at the Department of Geriatrics, from March 2016 to December 2019 to undergo treatment for LRTIs were included. Methods: The patients were divided into two groups (anemia and non-anemia) based on the level of hemoglobin. They were kept under observation till the occurrence of mortality event or 1 year after discharge. The primary follow-up outcome was LRTI-caused readmission and/or death.