NEW HAVEN, Conn., Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Outpatient treatment of low-risk pneumonia and community-acquired pneumonia gives better outcomes than inpatient care, say U.S. researchers.
A team of scientists from Yale, the University of Connecticut and the University of Pittsburgh compared data on 30-day survival, time to return to work/usual activities, and patient satisfaction from 1,493 patients with low-risk pneumonia treated at 32 emergency departments around the country. Outpatient treatment was given to 944 patients, while the remaining 549 were admitted to the hospital.
While patient satisfaction did not differ between the two groups, survival was significantly higher in the outpatient group, and they returned to normal activities six to nine days sooner than people who received inpatient care.
The study is published in the February issue of the journal CHEST.
