Table 1 Comparison of baseline patient characteristics for African-American and Caucasian patients admitted to VHA Hospitals with CAP (n = 40,878)*
| Â | Total | African-Americans | Caucasians | Â |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Patient Characteristics | (n = 40,878) | (n = 4,936) | (n = 35,942) | P-value |
Demographics | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Age (yrs), median (interquartile range) | 78 (72-83) | 77 (72-82) | 78 (72-83) | 0.005 |
   Male, % | 98% | 99% | 98% | <0.0001 |
   Married, % | 53% | 43% | 55% | <0.0001 |
   Priority group (PG), % |  |  |  | <0.0001 |
PG 1 | 18% | 13% | 19% | -- |
PG 2 | 5% | 4% | 5% | -- |
PG 3 | 9% | 7% | 9% | -- |
PG 4 | 15% | 21% | 14% | -- |
PG 5 | 43% | 48% | 43% | -- |
PG 6 | <1% | <1% | <1% | -- |
PG 7 | 3% | 2% | 3% | -- |
PG 8 | 6% | 4% | 6% | -- |
Comorbid conditions, % | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Myocardial infarction | 5% | 4% | 5% | <0.0001 |
   Heart failure | 22% | 19% | 22% | <0.0001 |
   Cerebrovascular disease | 16% | 16% | 16% | 0.2 |
   Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 51% | 39% | 53% | <0.0001 |
   Liver disease | <1% | <1% | 1% | 0.2 |
   Diabetes | 30% | 32% | 30% | <0.0001 |
   Renal disease | 10% | 16% | 10% | <0.0001 |
   Neoplastic disease | 21% | 24% | 20% | <0.0001 |
   Tobacco use | 37% | 32% | 37% | <0.0001 |
   Alcohol abuse or dependence | 3% | 4% | 3% | 0.0002 |
   Substance abuse or dependence | 3% | 4% | 3% | <0.0001 |
Organ failure and sepsis, %†|  |  |  |  |
   Any organ failure | 25% | 27% | 25% | 0.0014 |
   Multiple organ failure | 6% | 6% | 5% | 0.0061 |
   Sepsis | 4% | 5% | 4% | 0.0009 |