Epidemiology and Current Practices in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

The goal of this observational study is to learn more about severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) in adults who need hospital or intensive care. This type of pneumonia starts outside the hospital and can quickly become life-threatening. The study aims to understand how people with sCAP are cared for in different parts of the world and how these differences relate to their recovery.

* The main questions this study aims to answer are: * What are the characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of adults with sCAP? * How closely do hospitals follow international guidelines for diagnosing and treating sCAP? * What factors are linked to worse outcomes, such as the need for a ventilator or risk of death?

This study will not test any new drugs or procedures. Instead, researchers will observe the care that participants already receive as part of their normal treatment. Hospitals in many countries will take part, including centres in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. This global participation will help show how sCAP affects people in different health systems and communities.

Participants will be adults who arrive at a hospital or intensive care unit with severe pneumonia. Most information will come from medical records, such as symptoms, test results, treatments given, and how participants respond to care. In some hospitals with special laboratory capacity, additional blood or breathing samples may be collected to study how the body fights infection.

No extra visits are required for routine data-only participants. In sites that collect samples, these will usually be taken at the same time as routine medical care to avoid extra procedures. Researchers will also ask about recovery after hospital discharge at 60 days, 6 months, and 12 months. These follow-ups will help us understand long-term health, complications, and quality of life after sCAP.

By collecting information from a large number of hospitals around the world, this study hopes to identify patterns that can help improve diagnosis, treatment, and survival for people with severe pneumonia. The findings may also help health care teams and public health leaders update treatment guidelines and strengthen care for future patients.