[MIPS: multicenter Italian pneumonia study. Results of an observational, prospective and multicenter study on the clinical approach to community-acquired pneumonia].

In a survey of 25 Divisions of Internal Medicine and Pneumology throughout Italy, our study aimed to ascertain the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway, the gravity in accordance with Fine's score (PSI), the median hospital length of stay and mortality rate among patients consecutively hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), from January 1 to March 31, 2002. Overall 407 patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 69 years; the following Fine's scores: 28% less than 70, 21.4% between 71 and 90, 31.