Pulmonary Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Hospitalisations
Pulmonary Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Hospitalisations
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental and biologically diverse micro-organisms, some of which are associated with chronic and progressive pulmonary infections in susceptible individuals. In general, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is considered the most common causative agent of pulmonary NTM (PNTM) infection worldwide.
Recent epidemiologic data suggest that both the incidence and the prevalence of NTM infections are increasing worldwide. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the epidemiology of PNTM infections is changing, with immunocompetent subjects suffering from pre-existing structural lung disease and adults aged ≥50 years with a substantial proportion of never-smoking females without previous lung disease being increasingly reported from outside Europe. Most of these studies were either solely laboratory-based or used the frequency of NTM isolates from clinical specimens in order to determine prevalence and to reason the significance of NTM infection in conjunction with clinical and radiological data according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) statement on the diagnosis of NTM disease.
However, while representative population-based data for Europe are limited, the epidemiology of PNTM infections in Germany is largely unknown. In Germany, population-based data regarding hospitalisations are available at a federal level. Although primarily used for the billing of health services, some important epidemiological evidence has originated from the analysis of International Classification of Diseases hospital discharge diagnosis codes and health insurance claims.
Epidemiological and health services research on PNTM infections is required in order to optimise patient care and to inform health policy. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of the current burden and show the trends of PNTM infection-associated hospitalisations in Germany.
Background
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental and biologically diverse micro-organisms, some of which are associated with chronic and progressive pulmonary infections in susceptible individuals. In general, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is considered the most common causative agent of pulmonary NTM (PNTM) infection worldwide.
Recent epidemiologic data suggest that both the incidence and the prevalence of NTM infections are increasing worldwide. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the epidemiology of PNTM infections is changing, with immunocompetent subjects suffering from pre-existing structural lung disease and adults aged ≥50 years with a substantial proportion of never-smoking females without previous lung disease being increasingly reported from outside Europe. Most of these studies were either solely laboratory-based or used the frequency of NTM isolates from clinical specimens in order to determine prevalence and to reason the significance of NTM infection in conjunction with clinical and radiological data according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) statement on the diagnosis of NTM disease.
However, while representative population-based data for Europe are limited, the epidemiology of PNTM infections in Germany is largely unknown. In Germany, population-based data regarding hospitalisations are available at a federal level. Although primarily used for the billing of health services, some important epidemiological evidence has originated from the analysis of International Classification of Diseases hospital discharge diagnosis codes and health insurance claims.
Epidemiological and health services research on PNTM infections is required in order to optimise patient care and to inform health policy. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of the current burden and show the trends of PNTM infection-associated hospitalisations in Germany.
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