Prevalence of hypoxemia in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia at Tertiary Care Hospital in Quetta
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59736/IJP.24.02.1068Keywords:
Community-Acquired Infections, Hypoxia, Prevalence, Pulmonary Gas ExchangeAbstract
Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant cause of hospitalization and disability/mortality especially in the developing world. Hypoxemia is one of the most important signs of the severity of the disease and is linked to adverse clinical outcomes. Despite extensive research on CAP-related hypoxemia globally, limited evidence exists regarding its prevalence and associated factors among hospitalized patients in resource-limited regions of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan. Early identification of hypoxemia through simple assessment tools such as pulse oximetry may help clinicians recognize high-risk patients and initiate timely management.
Methods: It is a descriptive cross-sectional study done (January to June 2025) in the Department of Medicine of one of the tertiary care hospitals in Quetta. Non-probability consecutive sampling was used to select 150 patients with the following criteria: clinically and radiologically confirmed CAP and 18 years old or above. Patients having acute respiratory conditions necessitating chronic oxygen therapy, having baseline hypoxemia, or hospital-acquired pneumonia were excluded. Pulse Oximetry was used to measure oxygen saturation (SpO2) of room air at admission, and hypoxemia was defined as SpO2 < 90. Statistical software was used to analyze data, frequencies and percentages were computed. Age, gender, and comorbidities stratification was conducted.
Results: Among 150 patients, 64 (42.7% patients were identified to have hypoxemia at admission. Patients older than 60 years of age, those who smoke tobacco, and have comorbid conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes mellitus were found to be more prevalent. Frequency of hypoxemia in patients with multilobar involvement was higher than with single-lobe disease on chest X-rays.
Conclusion: Hypoxemia is a frequent occurrence among hospitalized CAP patients and closely linked to old age, smoking, comorbidities, and severity of the disease. Early management and routine monitoring of hypoxemia is very important to prevent complications and minimize morbidity and mortality.
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