Pneumonia in adults: Epidemiological aspects, hospitalizations, and diagnostic perspectives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62827/fb.v27i8.1279

Keywords:

Pneumonia; Epidemiology; Hospitalization; Diagnostic Imaging; Artificial Intelligence.

Abstract

Introduction: Pneumonia remains a significant public health issue among adults, associated with high morbidity and a substantial demand for hospitalizations. Understanding its epidemiological behavior, combined with improvements in diagnostic strategies, is crucial for enhancing care quality and identifying vulnerable populations. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological aspects of pneumonia in adults, the profile and trends of hospitalizations related to the disease, and diagnostic perspectives described in the literature. Methods: This is an integrative, qualitative, and descriptive review conducted using the PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, and BVS databases. A total of 175 records were identified, 25 of which were excluded due to duplication. After screening and eligibility assessment, six studies comprised the final sample. Results: The studies highlighted the significance of pneumonia as a cause of hospitalization, with variations in case distribution based on population, geographic, and temporal characteristics. Epidemiological analyses demonstrated the substantial burden the disease places on health services. Regarding diagnosis, the potential of artificial intelligence—particularly convolutional neural networks applied to chest radiographs—was identified as an auxiliary tool for pneumonia detection. However, the heterogeneity of the studies and the predominance of retrospective designs limit the generalizability of the findings. Conclusion: Pneumonia has a significant epidemiological and hospital-related impact on the adult population. Monitoring hospitalization trends and developing new diagnostic technologies can contribute to improved surveillance and care, although further studies are needed to validate their applicability across different clinical settings.

Author Biographies

  • Emilly Santana Sales, Univértix

    Centro Universitário Vértice (Univértix), Matipó, MG, Brasil



  • Isadora Farias Sousa, Univértix

    Centro Universitário Vértice (Univértix), Matipó, MG, Brasil



  • Bianca Guerra de Freitas, Univértix

    Centro Universitário Vértice (Univértix), Matipó, MG, Brasil



  • Filipe Alves Costa Barbosa, UNEC

    Orientador, Médico CRM 77580-MG, RQE 59297 pelo Centro Universitário de Caratinga (UNEC), Caratinga, MG, Brasil

References

Corrêa RA, Lundgren FLC, Silva JLP, Silva RLF, Cardoso AP, Lemos ACM, Rossi F, Michel G, Ribeiro L, Cavalcanti MAN, Figueiredo MRF, Holanda MA, Aidê MA, Chatkin MN, Messeder O, Teixeira PJZ, Martins RLM, Rocha RT. Diretrizes brasileiras para pneumonia adquirida na comunidade em adultos imunocompetentes – 2009. Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia, Brasília, [Internet] 2009 Jul 13 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 35(6):574-601, 2009. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/jbpneu/a/qWmCZGwZRNcyLNB4LSDtrSx/?format=html&lang=p. DOI: 10.1590/S1806-37132009000600011.

Metlay JP, Diagnosis and Treatment of Adults with Community-acquired Pneumonia: An Official Clinical Practice Guideline of the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, [Internet] [cited 2026 Set 09] 200(7):e45-e67, 2019. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31573350/. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201908-1581ST.

Tomaz JET, Duarte LRB, Alborghetti JA, Cardoso F, Abreu JRG. A importância da fisioterapia no tratamento das disfunções relacionados a pneumonia. Revista Científica Rumos da inFormação, [Internet] 2022 Jul 29 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 3(1):100-117. Available from: http://rumosdainformacao.ivc.br/index.php/rumosdainformacao/article/view/44.

Fonseca CMCS. Pneumonias em adultos, adquiridas na comunidade e no hospital. Medicina (Ribeirão Preto), Ribeirão Preto, [Internet] 1998 [cited 2026 Set 09] 31(2):216-228. Available from: file:///C:/Users/edufg/Downloads/zeluiz,+v31n2a04.pdf. DOI: 10.11606/issn.2176-7262.v31i2p216-228.

AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY; INFECTIOUS DISEASES SOCIETY OF AMERICA. Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Hospital-acquired, Ventilator-associated, and Healthcare-associated Pneumonia. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, [Internet] 2005 Fev 15 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 171(4):388-416. Available from: https://www.proquest.com/openview/a1f5fc7969996bf33f6aeedad5f37e7e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=40575.

Jones BE, Ramirez JA, Oren E, Soni NJ, Sullivan LR, Restrepo MI, Musher DM, Erstad BL, Pickens C, Vaughn VM, Helgeson SA, Crothers K, Metlay JP, Turpin BDB, Coa B, Chalmers JD, Cruz CSD, Gendlina I, Hojat LS, Vila ML, Liang SY, Waterer GW, Paine M, Hawkins C, Wilson K. AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY. Diagnosis and Management of Community-acquired Pneumonia: An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, [Internet] 2025 Jul 18 [cited 2026 Set 09]; Available from: https://academic.oup.com/ajrccm/article/212/1/24/8435770. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202507-1692ST.

Rahman T, Chowdhury MEH, Khandaker A, Islam KR, Islam KF, Mahbub ZB, Kadir MA, Kashem S. Transfer Learning with Deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for Pneumonia Detection using Chest X-ray. Applied Sciences, [Internet] 2020 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 10(9)3233 Available from: https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.06578. DOI: 10.3390/app10093233.

Whittemore R, Knafl K. The integrative review: updated methodology. J Adv Nurs. [cited 2026 Set 02]; 2005;52(5):546-553. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16268861/. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03621.x.

Mendes KDS, Silveira RCCP, Galvão CM. Revisão integrativa: método de pesquisa para a incorporação de evidências na saúde e na enfermagem. Texto Contexto Enferm. [cited 2026 Set 09]; 2008;17(4):758-764. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/tce/a/XzFkq6tjWs4wHNqNjKJLkXQ/?lang=pt. DOI: 10.1590/S0104-07072008000400018

Costa JG, Oliveira GM, Coni ROS, Almeida VSM, Cardoso ACC, Brasil CA. Perfil epidemiológico das internações hospitalares por pneumonia na Bahia, entre 2015 e 2019. Revista Enfermagem Contemporânea, [Internet] 2022 May 06 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 11(1):e4198-e4198. Available from: https://journals.bahiana.edu.br/index.php/enfermagem/article/view/4198. DOI: 10.17267/2317-3378rec.2022.e4198.

Rios NAB, Araújo RFC, Soares LHAE, Lima ZMS, Silva LO, Rocha OC, Neto AVL, Cruz IMC. Perfil epidemiológico das internações hospitalares por pneumonia no Brasil. Lumen et Virtus, [Internet] 2024 Dez 19 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 15(43):8516-8525, Available from: https://periodicos.newsciencepubl.com/LEV/article/view/2362. DOI: 10.56238/levv15n43-068.

Júnior JS, Silva JL, Santos EA. O perfil epidemiológico de internações por pneumonia em Alagoas: um recorte no tempo. Research, Society and Development, [Internet] 2022 Fev 06 [cited 2026 Set 09]; 11(2):1-8. Available from: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/25669. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v11i2.25669

Peres GL, Esperança PHM, Torres JMA, Reis T, Magalhães BLBO, Antonio KLR, Amorim CP, Companhoni MG, Riva CG, Cavalcante MS, Bezerra YS, Smanioto K.. Tendências E Perfis Das Internações Hospitalares Por Pneumonia De 2020 A 2024. Brazilian Journal of Implantology and Health Sciences, [Internet] 2025 Mar 21 [cited 2026 Set 09] 7(3):1707-1720. Available from: https://bjihs.emnuvens.com.br/bjihs/article/view/5507. DOI: 10.36557/2674-8169.2025v7n3p1707-1720.

Mendes TP, Moraes JS, Andrade DS, Miranda CGL. Levantamento epidemiológico das internações por pneumonia no Brasil entre 2013 e 2023. Revista Cereus, [Internet] 2025 Abr 07 [cited 2026 Set 09] 17(1):17-26. Available from: https://ojs.unirg.edu.br/index.php/1/article/view/5255.

Published

2026-09-28

How to Cite

Pneumonia in adults: Epidemiological aspects, hospitalizations, and diagnostic perspectives. (2026). Fisioterapia Brasil, 27(8), 5192-5210. https://doi.org/10.62827/fb.v27i8.1279

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 > >>