Data from: A systematic review of comorbidities and outcomes of adult patients with pleural infection

Background Pleural infection remains an important cause of mortality. This
study aimed to investigate worldwide patterns of pre-existing
comorbidities and clinical outcomes of patients with pleural infection.
Methods Studies reporting on adults with pleural infection between
2000-2017 were identified from a search of Embase and Medline. Papers
reporting exclusively on tuberculous, fungal or post pneumonectomy
infection were excluded. Two reviewers assessed 20980 records for
eligibility. Results 211 studies met the inclusion criteria. 134 papers
(227,898 patients, mean age 52.8 years) reported comorbidity and/or
outcome data. The majority of studies were retrospective observational
cohorts (n=104, 78%) and the most common region of reporting was East Asia
(n=33, 24%) followed by North America (n=27, 20%). 85 papers (50,756
patients) reported comorbidity. The median percentage prevalence of any
comorbidity was 72% (IQR 58-83%), with respiratory illness (20%, 16-32%)
and cardiac illness (19%, 15-27%) most commonly reported. 125 papers
(192,298 patients) reported outcome data. The median length of stay was 19
days (IQR 13-27) and median in-hospital or 30-day mortality was 4% (IQR
1-11%). In regions with high-income economies (n=100, 74%) patients were
older (mean 56.5 vs. 42.5 years, p<0.0001), but there were no
significant differences in prevalence of pre-existing comorbidity nor in
length of hospital stay or mortality. Conclusion Patients with pleural
infection have high levels of comorbidity and long hospital stays. Most
reported data are from high-income economy settings. Data from
lower-income regions is needed to better understand regional trends and
enable optimal resource provision going forward.