Table 1 Demographics, medical history, clinical symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatments and functional status of primary care patients with a serious lower respiratory tract infection (N = 548; Total cohort)
Categories | Mean ± SD or N (%) | |
|---|---|---|
Demographics | ||
Age (year) | 54.8 ± 18.1 | |
Age group | 18–49 years | 208 (38.0) |
50–64 years | 165 (30.1) | |
≥65 years | 175 (31.9) | |
Gender | Male | 254 (46.4) |
Female | 294 (53.6) | |
Smoking status | Smoker | 171 (31.2) |
Former smoker | 120 (21.9) | |
Non-smoker | 257 (46.9) | |
Activity and revenue | Without revenue | 64 (11.7) |
Replacement revenue | 44 (8.0) | |
Self-employed | 19 (3.5) | |
Manual worker | 112 (20.4) | |
Employee | 101 (18.4) | |
Manager | 10 (1.8) | |
Retired | 198 (36.1) | |
Exposition to young children | 285 (52.0) | |
Living conditions | At home | 530 (96.7) |
Nursing home | 15 (2.7) | |
Institution | 3 (0.6) | |
Medical history | ||
Influenza vaccination | 18–49 years | 18 (8.6) |
50–64 years | 45 (27.3) | |
≥65 years | 93 (53.1) | |
Pneumococcal vaccination | 18–49 years | 6 (2.9) |
50–64 years | 10 (6.1) | |
≥65 years | 48 (27.4) | |
Co-morbidities | Asthma | 64 (22.0) |
Chronic bronchitis | 61 (21.0) | |
Diabetes | 45 (15.5) | |
Renal insufficiency | 32 (11.0) | |
COPD | 94 (32.3) | |
Cardiovascular illness | 96 (33.0) | |
Immunological illness | 15 (5.2) | |
Allergy to antibiotics | 42 (7.7) | |
Clinical symptoms | ||
Body temperature taken by the physician (°C) | 38.3 ± 0.9 | |
Body temperature taken by the patient (°C) | 38.9 ± 0.5 | |
Breaths per minute | 21.7 ± 7.3 | |
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 125.1 ± 17.1 | |
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 76.7 ± 9.2 | |
Cough | 537 (98.0) | |
Sputum | 428 (78.1) | |
Shortness of breath | 362 (66.1) | |
Wheezing | 239 (43.6) | |
Coryza | 34 (6.2) | |
Breath sounds | 443 (80.8) | |
Chest pain | 310 (56.6) | |
Muscle ache | 338 (61.7) | |
Headache | 303 (55.3) | |
Disturbed sleep | 303 (55.3) | |
Feeling unwell | 459 (83.8) | |
Shivers | 258 (47.1) | |
Interference with normal activity | 374 (68.2) | |
Confusion/disorientation | 48 (8.8) | |
Diarrhoea | 66 (12.0) | |
CRB-65 score | 0 (best health status) | 306 (55.8) |
1 | 163 (29.7) | |
2 | 66 (12.0) | |
3 (worst health status) | 13 (2.4) | |
Diagnostic tests | ||
X-ray radiography | 50 (9.1) | |
X-ray signs | No signs | 15 (30.0) |
Lobar consolidation | 9 (18.0) | |
Infiltrate | 26 (52.0) | |
Pleural effusion | 2 (4.0) | |
Blood culture | 3 (0.5) | |
Tentative diagnosis | Acute bronchitis | 292 (53.3) |
Bronchopneumonia | 99 (18.1) | |
Pneumonia | 76 (13.9) | |
COPD exacerbation | 81 (14.8) | |
Treatment | ||
Pharmacological treatment | 540 (98.5) | |
Antibiotics | 490 (90.7) | |
Antipyretics | 425 (78.7) | |
NSAIDs | 24 (4.4) | |
Corticosteroids | 91 (16.9) | |
Bronchodilators | 135 (25.0) | |
Antitussives | 259 (48.0) | |
Low weight heparin | 6 (1.1) | |
N-acetylcysteine | 102 (18.9) | |
Non-pharmacological treatment | 35 (6.4) | |
Oxygen | 9 (25.7) | |
Physiotherapy | 30 (85.7) | |
Sick leave | 234 (42.7) | |
Supplementary home care | 15 (2.7) | |
Hospitalisation | 8 (1.5) | |
Functional status | ||
EQ-5D index | 0.61 ± 0.29 | |
EQ-5D visual analogue scale (mm) | 51.7 ± 17.5 |