Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42081049›Full record

Observational studyInfection2026

Prognosis and aetiology of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in patients with active lung or lower head and neck cancer (PEPP-C): a retrospective, matched multicentre cohort study in Germany and Spain.

Sina M Pütz, Marie Engelhard, Sebastian M Wingen-Heimann, David F Brilz, Brune Akrich, Heike Kohl, Annika Y Classen, Carlota Gudiol, Enric Sastre-Escola, Franziska C Trudzinski and 11 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Infection, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Sina M PützDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany. sina.puetz@uk-koeln.de.
Marie EngelhardDepartment 1 of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Sebastian M Wingen-HeimannInstitute of Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
David F BrilzDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Brune AkrichMSD France, Puteaux, France.
Heike KohlMSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, Munich, Germany.
Annika Y ClassenDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Carlota GudiolInfectious Diseases Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, B, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
Enric Sastre-EscolaInfectious Diseases Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, B, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
Franziska C TrudzinskiDepartment of Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Arturo Olivares RiveraDepartment of Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Eva LückeDepartment of Pneumology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
Tadeusz MarczewskiDepartment of Pneumology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
Ayham DaherDepartment of Pneumology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Stephan EisenmannDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Halle, Germany.
Jacqueline SchmitzDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Halle, Germany.
Anke Reinacher-SchickDepartment of Hematology and Oncology with Palliative Care, Katholisches Klinikum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Julia von TresckowDepartment of Hematology and Oncology with Palliative Care, Katholisches Klinikum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Rebekka MispelbaumMedical Clinic III for Oncology, Hematology, Immune-Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn (UKB), Bonn, Germany.
Tessa HattenhauerMedical Clinic III for Oncology, Hematology, Immune-Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn (UKB), Bonn, Germany.
J Janne VehreschildFaculty of Medicine, Institute for Digital Medicine and Clinical Data Science, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePatients with active lung or lower head and neck cancer (HNC) are at increased risk of infection, particularly hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), ventilated HAP (vHAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), due to immunosuppression and treatment-related side effects. These infections are associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospital stays and interruptions in cancer therapy. Despite their clinical relevance, data on epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, and outcomes in this population remain limited.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective, observational, multicentre matched cohort study at eight tertiary care centres in Germany and Spain. Patients with lung or lower HNC who received anti-cancer treatment between January 2018 and May 2022 and were hospitalised for at least 48 h were included. Patients with HAP/vHAP/VAP (case group) were matched 1:1 to those without pneumonia (control group) and followed for 90 days.

resultsA total of 256 patients were included, with median ages of 65 (cases) and 64 years (controls). Most patients had lung cancer (94%, n = 240), predominantly in stages III-IV (81%, n = 207). In the case group, patients had mostly HAP (88%, n = 113), diagnosed in median 7 days after hospital admission. Common antibiotics given included penicillin derivatives with β-lactamase inhibitors, cephalosporins and carbapenems. Patients with HAP/vHAP/VAP had significantly higher mortality and longer hospital stays (p < 0.001). Cox regression identified HAP/vHAP/VAP and dysphagia as independent predictors of mortality.

conclusionHAP/vHAP/VAP imposes a significant clinical burden in patients with lung or lower HNC. Early prevention, timely diagnosis, and close monitoring of high-risk patients are essential to improve outcomes.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsHealthcare-Associated PneumoniaLung NeoplasmsPneumonia, Ventilator-AssociatedAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSpainHospital acquired pneumoniaLower head and neck cancerLung cancerReal-world dataVentilator associated pneumonia

Identifiers

PMID42081049
PMCPMC13476287

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.