Aim: To evaluate the characteristics and outcome of patients with community acquired pneumonia admitted to a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.

Study design: Retrospective observational study

Place and duration of study: Department of Pulmonology, Bolan Medical College Quetta from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2018.

Methodology: Two hundred and ninety three patients were enrolled. Baseline demographics and characteristics, clinical features, complications and mortality were recorded for each patient at a tertiary care hospital of Quetta.

Results: There were 170 (58%) male patients with mean age 61.74±16.15 years. The average length of hospital stay was 4.88±4.0 days. Fifty nine (20.2%) had COPD, 65 (22.2%) were active smokers and 54 (18.4%) were ex smokers. The parapneumonic effusion during the course of the disease was found to be 49 (16.7%). Fourteen (5.8%) of the patients had empyema. Forty eight (16.4%) patients among the study population died during their hospital stay.

Conclusion: The community acquired pneumonia has high mortality rate and high frequency of complications like parapneumonic effusion and empyema among the patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.

Keywords: Community acquired pneumonia. Parapneumonic effusion, Empyema