Socioeconomic functioning in patients with brain abscess - a nationwide, population-based cohort study in Denmark

OBJECTIVES: Long-term functional outcomes of brain abscess remains sparsely elucidated.

METHODS: Nationwide, population-based cohort study of all Danish patients with a culture verified brain abscess and a comparison cohort from the general population individually matched on date of birth and sex.

RESULTS: Among 435 patients and 1740 members of the comparison cohort, 61% were men and median age was 54 years. In the year of study inclusion, patients with brain abscess had more hospital admission days, more outpatient visits and more sick leave days, compared with the comparison cohort. With time, these differences subsided. Brain abscess was associated with permanent lower employment rates and a higher risk of disability pension (difference of proportion employed of -26% (95% CI: -36% to -17%) and of proportion on disability pension of 29% (95% CI: 20% to 38%) 5 years after study inclusion). Two years after study inclusion, 1.4% of patients with brain abscess lived in residential care homes (difference of 1.1% (-0.2% to 2.5%)).

CONCLUSIONS: In this nationwide, population-based cohort study, brain abscess was associated with permanently decreased employment rates. Only a minority were dependent on residential care residency following a diagnosis of brain abscess suggesting that severe disability is probably rare.