Table 1.
Baseline clinical characteristics of patients enrolled in the study in the whole group and stratified by the two study arms.
| Whole Group (n = 50) | Control Group (n = 25) | Active Group (n = 25) | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 4.2 ± 0.1 | 4.4 ± 0.2 | 4.0 ± 0.2 | 0.14 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 32 (64) | 14 (56) | 18 (72) | 0.24 |
| Number of families with at least one member who smokes, n (%) | 14 (28) | 7 (28) | 7 (28) | 1.00 |
| Number of family members, n | 4 (3–4) | 4 (3–4) | 4 (3–4) | 0.17 |
| Symptoms | ||||
| respiratory, n (%) | 39 (78) | 20 (80) | 19 (76) | 0.73 |
| fever, n (%) | 7 (14) | 5 (20) | 2 (8) | 0.22 |
| cough, n (%) | 32 (64) | 16(64) | 16(64) | 1.00 |
| sore throat, n (%) | 15 (30) | 8(32) | 7(28) | 0.76 |
| ear pain, n (%) | 4 (8) | 3(12) | 2(4) | 0.30 |
| nasal congestion n (%) | 26 (52) | 12 (48) | 14 (56) | 0.57 |
| runny nose, n (%) | 18 (36) | 10 (40) | 8 (32) | 0.56 |
| bronchospasm, n (%) | 3 (6) | 1 (4) | 2 (8) | 0.55 |
| Treatment | ||||
| antibiotic, n (%) | 9 (18) | 4 (16) | 5 (20) | 0.71 |
| anti-pyretic, n (%) | 16 (32) | 9 (36) | 7 (28) | 0.54 |
| mucolytic, n (%) | 3 (6) | 2 (8) | 1 (4) | 0.55 |
| corticosteroids (aerosol), n (%) | 16 (32) | 7(28) | 9 (36) | 0.54 |
| Oral corticosteroids, n (%) | 6 (12) | 4(16) | 2(8) | 0.38 |
| bronchodilators n (%) | 5 (10) | 2 (8) | 3 (12) | 0.64 |
| Duration of symptoms (days) | 4 (2–6) | 4 (3–7) | 4 (1–5) | 0.29 |
| Number of days of absence from school | 3 (0–5) | 3 (2–5) | 1 (0–5) | 0.37 |
Data are reported as mean ± SD, median and interquartile range, or absolute number and percentage, as appropriate.