Incidence and Prognosis of Infections in the Elderly and Non-elderly Residents in a Community of Beijing

Abstract

Objective To compare the incidence and prognosis of infections between elderly and non-elderly residents in a community of Beijing. Method Adult inpatients during the study period(from July 1,2012 to June 30,2014)living in Yuetan Subdistrict of Beijing were screened for infections,and patients with infections were included into the analysis. Results A total of 19 472 patients were screened,and infections were found in 3449 patients(17.7%).The incidence was significantly higher in the elderly than that in the non-elderly patients(21.5%vs.10.5%,χ 2=362.202,P<0.001).Lower respiratory tract was the most commonly affected site,followed by genitourinary system.The mortalsity rate of the elderly patients with infections was significantly higher than that of the non-elderly patients with infections(13.6%vs.3.4%,χ 2=56.829,P<0.001)and increased with age.Logistic regression analysis found that older age,emergency surgery,comorbid cancer,chronic cardiac insufficiency,higher Charlson comorbidity index,intra-abdominal infection,gastrointestinal infection,bloodstream infection,lower respiratory infection,and hospital-acquired infection were independent risk factors of death for the elderly patients. Conclusion The incidence of infections in the elderly patients living in Yuetan Subdistrict of Beijing is much higher than that of the non-elderly patients,and elderly infected patients had longer hospital length of stays and higher mortality rates than non-elderly infected patients.