Short‐Term Functional Outcomes of Long‐Term Care Residents with Pneumonia Treated with and without Hospital Transfer

OBJECTIVE: To determine 2-month mortality and functional status outcomes after resolution of pneumonia in older long-term care facility (LTCF) patients treated with and without hospital transfer. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged, a 725-bed LTCF affiliated with an academic medical center, whose residents are cared for by staff physicians and geriatric fellows. PATIENTS: LTCF residents with an acute episode of pneumonia, defined as a new respiratory sign or symptom and a new infiltrate on chest radiograph. MEASUREMENTS: Functional decline or death in the 2 months after the resolution of pneumonia. RESULTS: Of 312 cases of pneumonia, 246 (79%) were treated in the LTCF and 66 (21%) were treated in the hospital. Equal proportions of patients died of their pneumonia (13% vs 12%), but a larger proportion of those hospitalized had either worsening in their functional status or had died at 2 months (P = .005, Mantel-Haenszel trend test). In a logistic regression model controlling for differences between patients treated at the two sites, hospital treatment remained associated with poorer 2-month outcome (AOR 3.02, 95% CI 1.32, 7.22), with a significant interaction between respiratory rate and treatment site. LTCF treatment was associated with better 2-month outcomes only among patients with a lower respiratory rate. For these patients, the difference in outcome between LTCF treatment and hospital treatment was greatest for patients who were independent or mildly dependent at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: In this academic LTCF, treatment for pneumonia without hospital transfer resulted in better 2-month outcomes compared with hospital treatment. Although the difference in outcome may be explained in part by differences between patients treated with and without hospital transfer, it persisted after correcting for these differences. The benefits of LTCF treatment appear to be greatest for those with less severe pneumonia and more independent functional status.