Access to a polymerase chain reaction assay method targeting 13 respiratory viruses can reduce antibiotics: a randomised, controlled trial

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients with acute respiratory tract infection openly randomised to rapid (within 24 to 48 hours) or delayed (after eight to twelve days) multiplex PCR assay results^a

Variable	Rapid analysis group (n= 202)	Delayed analysis group (n= 204)
Demographics
Median age, yr (IQR)	39 (31 to 50)	39 (31 to 53)
Male sex, n (%)	79 (39.1)	90 (44.1)
Coexisting illnesses^b, n (%)
Patients with available data	120 (59.4)	109 (53.4)
No reported coexisting illness	77 (64.2^c)	68 (62.4^d)
Asthma	14 (11.7^c)	11 (10.1^d)
COPD	2 (1.7^c)	-
Allergies	6 (5.0^c)	10 (9.2^d)
Diabetes	2 (1.7^c)	1 (0.9^d)
Neoplastic disease	1 (0.8^c)	2 (1.8^d)
Autoimmune disease^e	3 (2.5^c)	4 (3.7^d)
Ischaemic heart disease/angina	2 (1.7^c)	1 (0.9^d)
Clinical findings
Median duration of symptoms, days (IQR)	5 (3 to 7)	5 (3 to 9)
Median body temperature, °C (IQR)	37.1 (36.6 to 37.5)	36.9 (36.6 to 37.4)
Body temperature ≥38.5°C, n (%)	6 (3.0^f)	12 (6.0^g)
Median heart rate, beats/minute (IQR)	76 (67 to 88)	78 (70 to 87)
Tachycardia^h, n (%)	19 (9.4)	18 (8.8)
Median respiratory rate, breaths/min (IQR)	16 (14 to 19)	16 (14 to 19)
Hypoxiaⁱ, n (%)	9 (4.5)	8 (3.9)
Laboratory findings
CRP < 50 mg/L, n (%)	122 (83.6^j)	140 (90.3^k)
CRP ≥50 mg/L, n (%)	24 (16.4^j)	15 (9.7^k)
Symptoms, n (%)
Coryza	167 (82.7)	171 (83.8)
Sore throat	153 (75.7)	157 (77.0)
Headache	149 (74.1)	149 (73.0)
Dry cough	130 (67.0)	132 (67.0)
Productive cough	120 (59.4)	108 (52.9)
Shortness of breath	111 (55.0)	113 (55.4)
Fever	106 (52.7)	109 (53.4)
Myalgia	107 (53.0)	100 (49.0)
Red eyes	83 (41.1)	81 (39.9)
Joint pain	83 (41.1)	79 (38.7)
Chest pain	53 (26.2)	40 (19.6)
Diarrhoea	17 (8.4)	21 (10.3)
Vomiting	10 (5.0)	16 (7.8)
Rash	10 (5.0)	13 (6.4)

^aIQR, interquartile range; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRP, C-reactive protein; ^bcoexisting illnesses are those likely to influence the decision whether to prescribe antibiotics; conditions not included were fibromyalgia, lumbago, adenoids, migraine, depression, Parkinson's disease, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, Gilbert's syndrome, psoriasis, bradycardia, hepatitis C virus, scoliosis and pregnancy; ^cnumber of patients with data for coexisting illness, rapid analysis group (n = 120); ^dnumber of patients with data for coexisting illness, delayed analysis group (n = 109); ^eautoimmune diseases included inflammatory bowel syndrome (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica and multiple sclerosis; ^fnumber of patients tested for body temperature, rapid analysis group (n = 198); ^gnumber of patients tested for body temperature, delayed analysis group (n = 201); ^htachycardia defined as heart rate ≥100 beats/minute; ⁱhypoxia defined as pulse oximetry < 95%; ^jnumber of patients tested for CRP, rapid analysis group (n = 146); ^knumber of patients tested for CRP, delayed analysis group (n = 155).

ISSN: 1741-7015