The relation between hyperglycemia and outcomes in 2,471 patients admitted to the hospital with community-acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether hyperglycemia at the time of presentation was associated with outcomes in patients admitted to non-intensive care settings with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Prospective cohort study of consecutive patients admitted to six hospitals between 15 November 2000 and 14 November 2002. RESULTS Of the 2,471 patients in this study (median age 75 years), 279 (11%) had serum glucose at presentation >11 mmol/l: 178 of the 401 patients (44%) with a prior diagnosis of diabetes and 101 of the 2,070 patients (5%) without a history of diabetes. Of patients hospitalized with CAP, 9% died and 23% suffered an in-hospital complication. Compared with those with values < or =11 mmol/l, patients with an admission glucose >11 mmol/l had an increased risk of death (13 vs. 9%, P = 0.03) and in-hospital complications (29 vs. 22%, P = 0.01). Compared with those patients with admission glucose < or =6.1 mmol/l, the mortality risk was 73% higher (95% CI 12-168%) and the in-hospital complication risk was 52% higher (12-108%) in patients with admission glucose >11 mmol/l. Even after adjustment for factors in the Pneumonia Severity Index, hyperglycemia on admission remained significantly associated with subsequent adverse outcomes: for each 1-mmol/l increase, risk of in-hospital complications increased 3% (0.2-6%). CONCLUSIONS Hyperglycemia on admission is independently associated with adverse outcomes in patients with CAP, with the increased risks evident at lower glucose levels than previously reported.