A Retrospective Study on Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Pneumonia

May 5, 2026 updated by: Zhonghao Fang
Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors in Hospitalized Pneumonia Patients from April 2023 to April 2026. Background: Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death from infectious diseases in adults worldwide, with an increasingly severe disease burden exacerbated by population aging and the frequent emergence of drug-resistant bacteria; in China, severe pneumonia accounts for a striking 13.58% to 20.05% of hospitalized cases. In recent years, shifts in the pathogen spectrum (e.g., COVID-19, influenza A) and patient demographic characteristics have posed new challenges for clinical management. However, existing studies mostly focus on single pathogens or specific populations (e.g., ICU patients), lacking systematic analyses of the full-disease course characteristics of general hospitalized pneumonia patients. Furthermore, in the post-pandemic era, the clinical phenotypes, treatment responses, and prognostic factors of pneumonia may have evolved, necessitating evidence-based support from real-world data. This study aims to conduct a retrospective analysis to clarify the epidemiological characteristics, etiological distribution, and prognostic factors influencing current hospitalized pneumonia patients, thereby providing a basis for optimizing diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

  • Name: Liang Peng, Doctor
  • Phone Number: 86-020-85959142
  • Email: pl_206@126.com

Study Locations

      • Guangzhou, China
        • Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University
        • Contact:
          • Liang Peng, Doctor
          • Phone Number: 86-020-85959142
          • Email: pl_206@126.com

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

From April 2023 to April 2026, all adult patients who were hospitalized due to pneumonia and met the diagnostic criteria

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age ≥ 18 years old;
  2. Meet the diagnostic criteria for pneumonia (acute onset + new infiltrates on imaging);
  3. Have a positive result from pathogen testing;
  4. Time from onset to admission ≤ 72 hours (to ensure being in the acute phase of the disease);
  5. Sign a written informed consent form.

    Inclusion criteria for the severe group:

    A diagnosis of "severe pneumonia" can be made if one of the main criteria or ≥ 3 of the secondary criteria are met.

    Main criteria:

    ① Tracheal intubation requiring mechanical ventilation

    ② Need for vasoactive drugs after active fluid resuscitation for septic shock

    Secondary criteria:

    • Respiratory rate ≥ 30 breaths/min

      • PaO₂/FiO₂ ≤ 250 mm Hg

        • Multiple lobe infiltrates

          • Confusion and/or disorientation ⑤ Blood urea nitrogen ≥ 20 mg/dL

            ⑥ Leukopenia (WBC < 4×10⁹/L)

            • Thrombocytopenia (PLT < 100×10⁹/L)

              • Decreased body temperature (central body temperature < 36 ℃) ⑨ Hypotension requiring fluid resuscitation

    Exclusion Criteria:

    • 1) Patients with severely lacking medical records;

2) Those whose main manifestations are other non-infectious diseases (such as pulmonary edema, lung cancer, pulmonary embolism, etc.); 3) Those whose main diagnosis is active pulmonary tuberculosis, non-infectious interstitial lung disease, etc.; 4) Patients considered not applicable by the researchers.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
pneumonia

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
28-day all-cause mortality rate
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
28 days after admission

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Demographic characteristics
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
Demographic data (age, sex, etc.)
28 days after admission
Comorbidities
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
Comorbidities, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases.
28 days after admission
Symptomatic manifestations
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
Symptomatic manifestations (e.g., fever, cough, dyspnea)
28 days after admission
Laboratory tests
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
Laboratory tests (including blood routine, liver and kidney function, etc.)
28 days after admission
Imaging Examination
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
Imaging Examination: Radiological manifestations and image data from chest X-ray or CT scans
28 days after admission
ICU Length of Stay
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
28 days after admission
Duration of Mechanical Ventilation
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
28 days after admission
Length of Hospital Stay
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
28 days after admission

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Utilization of Antimicrobial Agents
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
28 days after admission
Clinical Outcomes (cured, improved, deceased)
Time Frame: 28 days after admission
28 days after admission

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Study Director: Zifeng Yang, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 28, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 5, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • P-2026-003

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Due to concerns over patient privacy and confidentiality issues, the individual patient data (IPD) cannot be shared.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.