Table 1. Baseline Characteristics for All Randomized Patientsa .
| Characteristic | No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention arm (n = 187) | Standard-of-care arm (n = 187) | |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 73 (61-79) | 71 (60-80) |
| Sex | ||
| Female | 73 (5.90) | 80 (42.8) |
| Male | 114 (61.0) | 107 (57.2) |
| Current smoker | 37 (19.8) | 36 (19.3) |
| Annual influenza vaccine | 97 (51.9) | 98 (52.4) |
| Pneumococcal vaccine in past 5 y | 74 (39.6) | 73 (39.0) |
| Duration of symptoms prior to admission, median (IQR), d | 6.6 (3.6-10.5) | 5.7 (3.5-9.5) |
| Antibiotics within 48 h | 42 (22.5) | 37 (19.8) |
| Antibiotics within past mo | 42 (22.5) | 73 (39.0) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Hypertension | 76 (40.6) | 70 (37.4) |
| CVD | 58 (31.0) | 64 (34.2) |
| Respiratory disease | 102 (54.5) | 103 (55.1) |
| Kidney disease | 23 (12.3) | 16 (8.6) |
| Liver disease | 0 | 2 (1.1) |
| Diabetes | 25 (13.4) | 29 (15.5) |
| Immunocompromised | 14 (7.5) | 20 (10.7) |
| Cancer | 20 (10.7) | 11 (5.9) |
| CCI, median (IQR) | 4 (2-5) | 4 (2-5) |
| Observations at ED presentation | ||
| Temperature, median (IQR), °C | 37.1 (36.7-37.5) | 37.0 (36.8-37.5) |
| Pulse rate, median (IQR), bpm | 94 (79-108) | 93 (83-105) |
| Respiratory rate, median (IQR), breaths per min | 22 (20-26) | 24 (20-28) |
| O2 saturation, median (IQR), % | 93 (90-96) | 94 (89-97) |
| Supplementary O2 | 15 (8.0) | 11 (5.9) |
| BP, median (IQR), mm Hg | ||
| Systolic | 131 (117-150) | 135 (118-149) |
| Diastolic | 80 (71-89) | 81 (70-90) |
| Laboratory and radiological results | ||
| CRP at admission, median (IQR), mg/dLb | 8.1 (3.1-15.9) | 10.8 (4.7-19.9) |
| WBC count at admission, median (IQR), ×103/μLb | 10.5 (8.1-15.1) | 10.7 (8.1-13.8) |
| Chest x-ray | 180 (96.3) | 174 (93.0) |
| Chest CT | 48 (25.7) | 49 (26.2) |
| CURB-65 score, median (IQR) | 1 (1-2) | 1 (1-2) |
| qSOFA score, median (IQR) | 1 (0-1) | 1 (0-1) |
| SARS-CoV-2 positive test result | 28 (15.0) | 24 (12.8) |
Abbreviations: BP, blood pressure; bpm, beats per minute; CCI, Charlson Comorbidity Index; CRP, C-reactive protein; CT, computed tomography; CURB-65, confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, BP, age ≥65 years; CVD, cardiovascular disease; ED, emergency department; O2, oxygen; qSOFA, quick Sequential (Sepsis-Related) Organ Failure Assessment score; WBC, white blood cell.
SI conversion factor: To convert CRP to milligrams per liter, multiply by 10.
a
Missing data (intervention: n = 10; standard of care: n = 7) were imputed using multiple imputations through chained equations.
b
The CRP and WBC counts were the highest values during hospitalization.