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%) |