Background: In this study, we aimed to assess the risk factors associated with mortality due to an infectious disease over the short-, medium-, and long-term based on a data-linkage study for patients discharged from an infectious disease unit in North Queensland, Australia, between 2006 and 2011.
Methods: Age-sex standardised mortality rates (SMR) for different subgroups were estimated, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate and compare the survival experience among different groups.
Results: Overall, the mortality rate in the hospital cohort was higher than expected in comparison with the Queensland population (SMR: 15.3, 95%CI: 14.9-15.6). The long-term mortality risks were significantly higher for severe infectious diseases than non-infectious diseases for male sex, Indigenous, residential aged care and elderly individuals.
Conclusion: In general, male sex, Indigenous status, age and comorbidity were associated with an increased hazard for all-cause deaths.
Keywords: North Queensland; data-linkage; infectious disease; mortality; sepsis.