It has been suggested that diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased susceptibility to infections, the risk of using more aggressive therapeutic agents and increased mortality and morbidity; however, current evidence supporting these events in the field of pneumonia is scarce. Aim: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical features and microbiological characteristics and outcome of bacterial pneumonia in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus, and to compare them with non-diabetics. Materials and Methods: A prospective study conducted in Santhiram medical college and general hospital, Nandyal, which included 60 patients of pneumonia with diabetes and 60 patients of pneumonia in non-diabetics. The clinical and radiological characteristics, the spectrum of causative agents, microbiological data and the outcome of diabetic patients were analysed and compared with data obtained from non diabetic patients. Results: Patients with diabetes were significantly associated with multilobar involvement (P = 0.039), prolonged duration of hospital stay (P = 0.018), more severe at presentation in form of increased PSI score (P = 0.038) and more ICU admissions. By contrast, there was no significant difference in age, sex, concomitant underlying illness, complications, mortality. In the sub group of patients with diabetes, mortality was associated with multilobar infiltrate, concomitant illness, high PSI score (P < 0.001) more complications (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In patients with pneumonia, diabetes is associated with poor prognosis, increased duration of hospital stay and poor outcome compared to non-diabetics. This study suggests that this outcome is more attributable to underlying circumstances of patients than to uncommon microbiological finding.
