Int J Clin Pract: Effects of anaemia on hospital readmissions and death in octogenarians with lower respiratory tract infections: a retrospective cohort study

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in octogenarians is a highly prevalent disease
associated with increased mortality.
Anemia is a common condition in older people and often goes untreated
.
A team of researchers investigated whether anemia is a risk factor
for hospital readmissions and death in octogenarians due to LRTI.

The researchers designed a retrospective cohort study
.
Participants included elderly patients (age: ≥80 years)
hospitalized in geriatrics for LRTIs.
A total of 215 patients (mean age: 88.
73 years; 77.
2% were male).

Patients are divided into two groups (anemia and non-anemia)
according to hemoglobin levels.
They were followed for 1 year
after discharge or after death.
The primary follow-up outcomes were hospital readmissions and/or death
due to LRTI.

Figure 1: Kaplan-Meier curve
of LRTI-related mortality within 1 year of discharge.

The risk of readmission due to LTRI within 1 year after discharge was 2.
308 times
higher in the anaemia group than in the non-anaemic group.
The number of patients readmitted ≥ 2 patients in the anaemia group was significantly higher than in the non-anaemic group (35 (23.
5%) versus 2 (3%)).

To prevent one hospital readmission, only 2.
65 cases
of anaemia need to be treated.
In addition, the risk of LRTI-related death was 6.
644 times
higher in the anaemic group than in the non-anaemic group.
To prevent one death, only 3.
9 cases
of anaemia need to be treated.

Statistics showed that hemoglobin was LRTI-induced readmissions (Logistic Regression, OR, 0.
969; 95% CI, 0.
950-0.
989) and death (Cox Regression, β, -0.
037, HR, 0.
964; 95% CI, 0.
934-0.
994).

LRTI in patients in their 80s is a highly prevalent disease associated with
poorer quality of life, poorer prognosis, and increased mortality.
Anemia is a risk factor
for hospital readmissions and death in patients with LRIT aged 80 years.
It is often ignored and ignored
.
It can reduce the number of deaths
caused by hospital readmissions and within one year of discharge by improving the degree of anaemia or reducing the incidence of anaemia.
Anemia in older people is usually the result of
a combination of multiple causes.
Therefore, clinicians should actively provide treatment to reduce the incidence or extent of anaemia, reduce the risk of readmission and death due to LRTI, and improve quality of life
in older patients.
Overall, anaemia is a widespread and associated risk factor associated with hospital readmissions due to LRTI due to LRTI and death within 1 year of discharge in patients aged 80 years
.

Original source:

He Y, Chen Y, Cao K, Zheng H.
Effect of Anemia on Readmission and Death in Octogenarian Patients with Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Int J Clin Pract.
2022; 2022:4566936.
Published 2022 Oct 27.
doi:10.
1155/2022/4566936