To determine the risk factors and the prognosis of acute cardiac events in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Observational analysis of a prospective cohort of hospitalized adults with CAP (1995–2010). A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for acute cardiac events and mortality.

Of 3921 patients with CAP, 315 (8%) had one or more acute cardiac events during hospitalization (199 new-onset or worsening cardiac arrhythmias, 118 new-onset or worsening congestive heart failure and/or 30 myocardial infarction). In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with these events were age >65 years, chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, tachycardia, septic shock, multilobar pneumonia, hypoalbuminemia, and pneumococcal pneumonia. A rule based on these variables had an area under ROC curve of 0.73 (95% CI 0.70–0.76) to predict acute cardiac events. These complications occurred in 2.8% of patients classified in the low-risk (≤3 points), 9.7% in the intermediate-risk (4–5 points) and 21.2% in the high-risk (≥6 points) groups (P < .001). The overall case fatality rate was higher in patients who had acute cardiac events (19.4% vs. 6.4%; P < .001).

Acute cardiac events occur frequently during hospitalization for CAP and are associated with poor prognosis. A simple rule based on demographic and clinical features may help identify patients at higher risk of these complications.