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Table 1 Comparison of patients with versus without pneumonia

From: A decision aid to rule out pneumonia and reduce unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics in primary care patients with cough and fever

Variate*

All patients

(n = 621)

Patients without pneumonia

(n = 494)

Patients with pneumonia

(n = 127)

Age

46.7 (SD 16.3)

46.6 (SD 16.1)

46.8 (SD 17.2)

Gender (male)

308 (50%)

247 (50%)

61 (48%)

New onset/worsened cough's duration (days)

7.0 (SD 9.6)

6.7 (SD 6.4)

8.4 (SD 17)

Chronic cough

43 (7%)

30 (6%)

13 (10%)

Daily fever

350 (56%)

266 (54%)

84 (66%)

Maximum temperature (°C)

38.5 (SD 1.0)

38.4 (SD 1.0)

38.8 (SD 1.0)

Dyspnea

223 (36%)

165 (33%)

58 (46%)

Dyspnea at effort only

117 (19%)

88 (18%)

29 (23%)

Wheezing

109 (18%)

85 (17%)

24 (19%)

Pain on inspiration

179 (29%)

133 (27%)

46 (36%)

Rigors

205 (23%)

150 (30%)

55 (43%)

Muco-purulent sputum

302 (49%)

240 (49%)

62 (49%)

Bloody sputum

42 (7%)

27 (5%)

15 (12%)

Cold/Influenza signs

301 (48%)

252 (51%)

49 (39%)

Non-Smoker

440 (71%)

349 (71%)

91 (72%)

Smoking (cigs./day)

16.4 (SD 9.1)

16.1 (SD 9.3)

17.6 (SD 8.7)

Pack years

12.7 (SD 18.2)

8.7 (SD 12.2)

25 (SD 26.7)

History of pneumonia

20 (3%)

17 (3%)

3 (2%)

Current temperature (°C)

37.4 (SD 1.0)

37.3 (SD 1.0)

37.7 (SD 1.0)

Signs of upper respiratory infection

234 (38%)

201 (46%)

33 (26%)

Respiratory rate (#/minute)

17 (SD 6)

16.6 (SD 5.7)

18.6 (SD 5.9)

Prolonged expiration

64 (10%)

48 (10%)

16 (13%)

Percussion: dullness (a)

38 (6%)

13 (3%)

25 (20%)

Auscultation: friction rub (b)

18 (3%)

7 (1%)

11 (9%)

Auscultation: diminished inspiratory sound (c)

74 (12%)

43 (9%)

31 (24%)

Auscultation: bronchial breath sound (d)

52 (8%)

28 (6%)

24 (19%)

Auscultation: rales and/or wheezing (e)

192 (31%)

144 (29%)

48 (38%)

Abnormalities in a to e, if 2+ in single locus

140 (23%)

84 (17%)

56 (44%)

Abnormalities in a to e, if 2+ in different loci

18 (3%)

10 (2%)

8 (6%)

C-reactive protein (CRP)

   

   CRP 0 to 10

108 (17%)

108 (22%)

0 (0%)

   CRP 11 to 50

265 (43%)

240 (49%)

25 (20%)

   CRP 51 to 100

106 (17%)

78 (16%)

28 (22%)

   CRP >100

134 (22%)

61 (12%)

73 (57%)

  1. *Means and standard deviation; number of patients and percentages