Circumstances of the index attack: (A) pre-hospital management, and (B) features on presentation
| Rapid (n=27) | Slow (n=289) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) Pre-hospital management: | |||
| During index attack | |||
| Use of peak flow meter | 26% | 43% | NS |
| Use of action plan | 37% | 31% | NS |
| Use of nebulised bronchodilators | 30% | 28% | NS |
| Use of oral steroids (prior to admission) | 26% | 27% | NS |
| First “port of call” | |||
| GP | 19%) | 48%) | |
| Ambulance | 33%) | 12%) | 0.0043-151 |
| Emergency department | 48%) | 40%) | |
| (B) Features on presentation: | |||
| Presentation with SLTA18 | 67% | 20% | <0.0013-151 |
| Cardiopulmonary arrest | 22% | 6% | <0.0033-151 |
| Impaired conscious level | 56% | 13% | <0.0013-151 |
| Mechanical ventilation | 19% | 4.5% | <0.0013-151 |
| Initial arterial blood gas tensions | |||
| pH | 7.25 (6.8–7.6) | 7.39 (6.9–7.6) | <0.0063-152 |
| (n=25) | (n=198) | ||
| Paco 2(kPa) | 8.7 (2.6–34.0) | 5.1 (2.2–19.7) | <0.0013-152 |
| Mean (SD) days in hospital | 3.7 (2.9) | 3.7 (2.6) | NS |