TY - JOUR T1 - A population-based study of the costs of care for community-acquired pneumonia JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 610 LP - 616 DO - 10.1183/09031936.04.00076704 VL - 23 IS - 4 AU - M. Bartolomé AU - J. Almirall AU - J. Morera AU - G. Pera AU - V. Ortún AU - J. Bassa AU - I. Bolíbar AU - X. Balanzó AU - A. Verdaguer AU - the Maresme Community-Acquired Pneumonia Study Group (GEMPAC) Y1 - 2004/04/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/23/4/610.abstract N2 - In a population-based study, the consumption of resources for treating adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia was determined. During a 2‐yr period, all cases with a clinical and radiological suspicion of community-acquired pneumonia that occurred in patients aged >14 yrs in a community of 74,610 inhabitants were investigated prospectively. Of 292 cases with a suspicion of community-acquired pneumonia, 224 were included (18.5% misdiagnoses). The mean number of visits per patient was 4.5 (72% in the primary care setting). Inpatient care was recommended in 59.8% of cases; after discharge, 44% of patients were managed in outpatient clinics. The mean direct cost of pneumonia treated in the hospital setting was (euros)1,553, whereas the mean cost of cases treated as outpatients was 196. A total of 15.7% of admissions were considered inappropriate and the length of stay could have been reduced by 3.5 days in the most severe cases. A reduction in inappropriate admissions and lengths of hospital stay would result in a decrease in cost of 17.4%. Community-acquired pneumonia in Maresme, Spain, occurs at a low incidence, although with a high percentage of hospitalisations (in part inappropriate), resulting in considerable costs. This study was supported by a grant (97/0718) from the Health Investigation Fund, Madrid, Spain. ER -