Predictors of Nosocomial Pneumonia in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients: A Multi-center Observational Study

Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) is a frequent complication among spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) patients. This study was aimed at identifying in-hospital risk factors that predispose sICH patients to NP. We identified 591 consecutive sICH subjects admitted to six tertiary care hospitals between 2008 and 2012. Information regarding patients' demographics, admission data, laboratory tests, medical history, diagnostic imaging, in-hospital treatments, complications, and outcomes were collected. Using a competing risks analysis, we assessed risk factors associated with NP. Mean age of the subjects was 68 years; 51 % were female and 76 % were white. One-hundred sixteen (19.6 %) of the sICH patients had NP. In the univariate analysis, variables including age, non-white race, early hospital admission (< 6 h after onset), larger hematoma volume, basal ganglia or intraventricular hemorrhage, multisite hemorrhage, in-hospital aspiration, intubation, nasogastric tube placement, hematoma evacuation, high ICH score, ventricular drainage, and tracheostomy had a positive association with NP. However, in the multivariate analysis, only early hospital admission, in-hospital aspiration, intubation, and tracheostomy remained statistically significant predictors (p < 0.05). For patients who survived hospitalization, the median length-of-stay (LOS) with or without NP was 20.0 and 4.0 days, respectively (p < 0.0001). For patients who did not survive to discharge, the median LOS with or without NP was 10.5 and 2.0 days, respectively (p < 0.001). Independent predictors of NP included early hospital admission, in-hospital aspiration, intubation, and tracheostomy. NP was associated with prolonged hospital LOS.