Table 1

Clinical characteristics of patients with H1N1 influenza-related pneumonia compared with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)

CharacteristicH1N1 cohort (n=254)CAP cohort (n=648)p Value
Demographics
 Age (years)42 (29–54)75 (61–84)<0.001
 Male109 (42.9%)367 (56.6%)<0.001
Admission observations
 Temperature (°C), mean (95% CI)38.1 (37.9 to 38.2) (n=245)37.5 (37.4 to 37.6) (n=644)<0.001
 Pulse (/min)110 (97–120) (n=244)100 (86–115) (n=646)<0.001
 SBP (mm Hg), mean (95% CI)125 (123 to 128) (n=243)126 (124 to 129) (n=646)0.61
 Respiratory rate (/min)24 (19–28) (n=240)22 (18–28) (n=646)0.14
 Confusion18 (7.1%)182 (28.1%)<0.001
Outcome
 Critical care admission88 (34.6%)83 (12.8%)<0.001
 LOS for survivors (days)6 (3–11) (n=206)8 (4–14) (n=553)0.003
 Inpatient death29 (11.4%)91 (14.0%)0.296
Investigations
 Bilateral consolidation89 (39.0% of 228)129 (19.9%)<0.001
 White cell count (×109/l)7.6 (5.4–11.3) (n=239)14.5 (10.5–19.9) (n=646)<0.001
 Urea (mmol/l)4.7 (3.3–6.9) (n=232)7.9 (5.5–12.6) (n=647)<0.001
 C-reactive protein (mg/l)85 (34–199) (n=184)148 (61–248) (n=602)<0.001
 Albumin (g/dl)34 (30–40) (n=177)31 (27–35) (n=488)<0.001
Symptoms
 Productive cough147 (57.9%)287 (58.7% of 489*)0.83
 Dyspnoea151 (59.4%)428 (87.5% of 489*)<0.001
Comorbidity
 Asthma64 (25.2%)57 (8.8%)<0.001
 COPD24 (9.4%)169 (26.1%)<0.001
 CCF1 (0.4%)46 (7.1%)<0.001
 Diabetes mellitus25 (9.8%)100 (15.4%)0.029
 Charlson index, mean (95% CI)1.11 (0.94 to 1.27)1.33 (1.23 to 1.44)0.023
  • Values are median (IQR) or n (%) of patients unless otherwise stated. Normally distributed data are reported as means with 95% CI and non-normally distributed data as medians with interquartile range.

  • * Data not given for patients with confusion.

  • CAP, community-acquired pneumonia; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CCF, congestive cardiac failure; LOS, length of hospital stay; SBP, systolic blood pressure.