Adult pneumonia is a significant burden on healthcare – register study from 2016 to 2022

Background Incidence of pneumonia and pneumonia-related healthcare contacts in specialised and primary care were analysed in the population aged 18 years and older in the years 2016–2022.

Methods Hospitalizations and other healthcare contacts with pneumonia as primary or secondary diagnosis were identified from the Care Registers. Calculation of annual incidence accounted for patients with at least one pneumonia-related hospitalisation or outpatient visit. Hospitalisations were analysed by wellbeing services counties.

Results In 2016–2022, there were about 70 000 adults with pneumonia each year. Of them, 53–56% were hospitalised at least once, the average length of stay being 9.8 days. Over half (58–64%) of the patients were aged 64 years or older. Around three out of four hospitalisations (78%) were related to the treatment of over 64-year-olds. The number of hospital days per population varied greatly across wellbeing services counties and was clearly related to overall morbidity in the county and to a lesser extent to the share of the population aged over 64 years.

Conclusions Healthcare burden associated with pneumonia, particularly in people aged over 64 years, is great, and importance of this group is likely to increase as the population ages.

Mari Pölkki, Maarit J Korhonen, Veli-Jukka Anttila, Peter Klemets, Essi J Peltonen, Marita Kalaoja, Timo Purmonen, Jenni Kononoff