The impact of adherence to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) management guidelines on improving clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients

Objectives: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is linked with high morbidity and mortality, particularly among the elderly. Because of the high incidence and accompanying financial expenses, accurate diagnosis and adequate care of this group hospitalized with CAP are required. The purpose of the study was to assess the level of adherence to CAP national guidelines at a private hospital, as well as the impact of adherence to these national recommendations on clinical outcomes. Methods: Data from electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized with CAP between 2018 and 2019 were retrieved for a quantitative observational retrospective cohort research. Results: This study comprised 159 patients, with 76 patients (47.8%) receiving therapy according to the recommendations of the guidelines. A total of 75 (98.7%) of those patients were hospitalized across the ICU wards. In contrast, 98.4% (64/65) of patients who had received empiric antibiotic treatment within isolation floors were non-compliant. There was a statistically significant relationship between the level of adherence to CAP clinical guidelines and the following variables: The 72-hour reassessment (P = 0.01), medications altered OR retained when culture findings were revealed (P = 0.01), primary diagnosis (P = 0.028), and total intended period of antibiotic therapy (P = 0.007). Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, higher adherence to the guidelines amongst ICU patients was linked to better outcomes, such as a significant reduction in the overall planned period of antibiotic therapy.