The study assessed the incidence rate of all-cause pneumonia (ACP) and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and associated direct medical costs among individuals aged 16 years and older in Germany.
ACP and IPD were identified using ICD-10-GM codes in the InGef database from 2014 to 2017. Incidence rate was expressed as the number of episodes per 100,000 person-years. Direct medical costs were estimated as the total cost of all inpatient and outpatient visits, divided by the total number of episodes.
The annual incidence of IPD per 100,000 person-years were as follows: 16 to 49 years: 7.2; 50 to 59 years: 29.4; 60 to 69 years: 69.1; and >=70 years: 207.1. The annual incidence of ACP per 100,000 person-years were as follows: 16 to 49 years: 438.8; 50 to 59 years: 809.6; 60 to 69 years: 1199.5; and >=70 years: 2770.9. The mean direct medical costs for IPD and ACP per episode were estimated to be €4551 and €993 respectively. The aggregate direct medical costs for IPD and ACP were estimated to be €28.5 million and €117.7 million respectively.
The clinical and economic burden of IPD and ACP among German adults is substantial regardless of age.