Demographic and clinical features of patient groups
| Patients studied in detail over winter 6 months | Patients not entered into detailed study over winter 6 months | Patients seen during summer 6 months | |
| No | 316 | 208 | 114 |
| Sex (no of women) | 184 (58%) | 130 (63%) | 71 (62%) |
| Age (years) | |||
| Median (range) | 46 (16–84) | 40 (16–89) | 45 (16–80) |
| Interquartiles | 34, 59 | 29, 56 | 31, 59 |
| Smoking | |||
| Never | 158 (50%) | 115 (56%) | 60 (54%) |
| Ex-smoker | 73 (23%) | 32 (16%) | 23 (20%) |
| Current | 84 (27%) | 57 (28%) | 29 (26%) |
| Duration of symptoms (days) | |||
| Median | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Interquartiles | 4, 14 | 4, 10 | 5, 10 |
| Cough | |||
| Dry | 42 (13%) | 45 (22%) | 20 (18%) |
| Clear sputum | 45 (14%) | 45 (22%) | 14 (12%) |
| Discoloured sputum | 226 (72%) | 117 (56%) | 80 (70%) |
| Wheeze (2-150p=0.006) | 127 (40%)2-150 | 59 (28%)2-150 | 50 (44%) |
| Shortness of breath (2-150p=0.0003) | 101 (32%)2-150 | 37 (18%)2-150 | 30 (26%) |
| Chest pain (2-150p=0.0004) | 134 (42%)2-150 | 57 (27%)2-150 | 40 (35%) |
| Sore throat | 203 (64%) | 121 (61%) | 67 (59%) |
| Systemic (2-150p=0.04, 2-151p<0.001) | 161 (51%)2-150 2-151 | 90 (43%)2-150 | 38 (33%)2-151 |
| Temperature ⩾37.5°0C | 46 (15%) | Not done | Not done |
| Pulse ⩾100/min2-160 | 11 (4%) | Not done | Not done |
| Respiration rate2-160 | |||
| ⩾20/min | 116 (46%) | Not done | Not done |
| ⩾30/min | 4 (2%) | Not done | Not done |
| Chest examination | |||
| Clear | 194 (62%) | 145 (70%) | 71 (63%) |
| General | 73 (23%) | 38 (18%) | 28 (25%) |
| Focal | 48 (15%) | 23 (11%) | 14 (12%) |
| Antibiotic prescribed (2-150p=0.001) | 181 (57%)2-150 | 88 (42%)2-150 | 60 (53%) |