Table 1. Compared clinical, therapeutic, and outcome characteristics between RT-PCR positive to at least one respiratory pathogen, and RT-PCR negative patients, among SARI cases during the influenza season 2022/2023.
| Variables | Overall | RT-PCR Positive | RT-PCR Negative | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 164) | (N = 64) | (N = 100) | ||
| Demographics | ||||
| Age, median [IQR] | 65 [52.25–72] | 66 [57.25–72.75] | 63.5 [42.5–70] | 0.079 |
| Age, [range] | [15–94] | [18–94] | [15–88] | |
| Sex, Male | 107 (61.7) | 41 (64.1) | 66 (61.7) | 0.867 |
| Smoking | 67 (40.9) | 27 (42.2) | 40 (40) | 0.780 |
| Underlying condition (n = 164) | ||||
| Hypertension | 63 (38.4) | 24 (37.5) | 39 (39) | 0.847 |
| Diabetes | 39 (23.8) | 13 (20.3) | 26 (26) | 0.460 |
| COPD | 74 (45.1) | 30 (46.9) | 44 (44) | 0.750 |
| Asthma | 6 (3.7) | 3 (4.7) | 3 (3) | 0.679 |
| Heart Failure | 21 (12.8) | 8 (12.5) | 13 (13) | 0.926 |
| At least one comorbidity | 145 (88.4) | 57 (89.1) | 88 (88) | 0.836 |
| WHO score | 2 [1–3] | 2 [1–3] | 2 [1–3] | 0.602 |
| Vaccination status | ||||
| SARS-CoV-2 (at least one dose) | 67 (40.9) | 19 (29.7) | 48 (48) | 0.023 |
| Influenza 2022/2023 | 15 (9.1) | 6 (9.4) | 9 (9) | 0.935 |
| Clinical presentation at MICU admission (n = 164) | ||||
| Delay from symptoms to RT-PCR | 7 [5–11] | 7 [4–10] | 8 [5–13] | 0.043 |
| PaO2/FiO2 | 246.8±97 | 237.7±82.6 | 252.7±105.5 | 0.335 |
| Radiological opacities | 96 (58.5) | 41 (64.1) | 55 (55) | 0.261 |
| ARDS | 22 (13.4) | 14 (21.9) | 8 (8) | 0.017 |
| SAPS II | 32.8±11.8 | 32.3±9.9 | 33.2±12.8 | 0.628 |
| Diagnosis at MICU (n = 164) | ||||
| COPD exacerbation | 93 (56.7) | 38 (59.4) | 55 (55) | 0.630 |
| Pneumonia | 26 (15.9) | 15 (23.4) | 11 (11) | 0.047 |
| Cardiac decompensation | 10 (6.1) | 2 (3.1) | 8 (8) | 0.318 |
| Miscellaneous | 35 (21.3) | 9 (14.1) | 26 (26) | 0.080 |
| Therapeutic management (n = 164) | ||||
| HFNC | 39 (23.8) | 18 (28.1) | 21 (21) | 0.352 |
| NIV | 111 (67.7) | 49 (76.6) | 62 (62) | 0.085 |
| IMV | 63 (38.4) | 25 (39.1) | 38 (38) | 0.891 |
| Corticosteroids | 95 (57.9) | 42 (65.6) | 53 (53) | 0.103 |
| Antibiotics | 68 (41.5) | 27 (42.2) | 41 (41) | 0.880 |
| Outcomes (n = 164) | ||||
| MICU LOS | 7 [5–12] | 7 [4–10.75] | 8 [5–13] | 0.276 |
| MICU Mortality | 37 (22.6) | 17 (26.6) | 20 (20) | 0.347 |
Data were expressed as n (%) for categorical variables and as median[IQR] or mean±SD for continuous variables.
COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, WHO, World Health Organization, SARS-CoV-2, PaO2/FiO2, Arterial partial pressure of oxygen/Inspired fraction of oxygen, ARDS, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, SAPS II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, HFNC, High Flow Nasal Cannula, NIV, Non-Invasive Ventilation, IMV, Invasive Mechanical Ventilation, MICU, Medical Intensive Care Unit, LOS, Length of Stay.