Incidence and Lethality of Adult Pneumonia, Bacteremia, or Meningitis in Colombia From 2015 to 2022: A Retrospective, Database Study

OBJECTIVES: To measure the frequency and lethality of pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis in adults in Colombia from 2015 to 2022.

METHODS: This is a retrospective, cohort study of adult patients based on structured data collection from a Health Management Organization (HMO). A diagnosis of the first episode of pneumonia, bacteremia, or meningitis, without a documented etiology (10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases), between 2015 and 2022 was identified, and an index date was defined as when the diagnosis was registered into the medical records. Incidence was calculated as dividing the number of cases by the number of affiliates in the HMO, over the study period.

RESULTS: The overall frequency of cases were 96.0% for pneumonia (107,675/112,205 patients identified) 6.2% for bacteraemia (7,006/112,205), and 0.37% for meningitis (412/112,205). In 2022, the incidence of pneumonia was 402.1 cases per 100,000 persons. From 2015 to 2022, the incidence was at its highest in 2019, but there was a reduction after 2020. The incidence increased with age and was higher in females for each age. Predominant comorbidities were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular diseases. In bacteremia, incidence gradually decreased from 43.1 cases per 100,000 persons in 2015, to 24.4 in 2020, and 26.9 in 2022. For meningitis, it was 1.0 cases per 100,000 persons with steady values observed during the period of follow up. Compared to pneumonia, comorbilidities and age have more influence in the bacteremia and meningitis incidence. The observed mean lethality during studied years for pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis were 12.0% (standard deviation 2.0%), 33.5% (4.7%), and 13.8 % (5.2%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The Colombian adult patients presented frequencies of pneumonia, and bacteremia were affected after 2020. The pneumonia incidence was higher on females and for all diseases this indicator was affected by age and comorbidities. Bacteremia was more lethal.