Infections are among the most common comorbidities in people with dementia that are potentially preventable. People with dementia are susceptible to getting infections and they are more likely to have their infections misdiagnosed and mismanaged.

This thesis investigated the role of infections in a population of all 65+ year old Danish residents. Results from the registry-based studies showed that people with dementia had 50% higher rates for infection-related hospital contacts and that infections may be an early sign of dementia. Following such contacts, people with dementia were 7-fold more likely to die and acute infection admissions of people with dementia were more likely to result in 7-day readmissions. Readmissions were mostly due to infections as well. Associations were observed for all infection types, with some variations.

Findings reflect pitfalls in dementia care and infection management and highlight issues of equity in healthcare. The current and future burden of hospital care use and the growing number of people living with dementia emphasizes the urgent need to focus attention towards preventing avoidable hospitalizations, such as infections, and to focus on specialized care for people with dementia. This calls for strong collaborations that span disciplines of clinical care, research, and other professions.