Table 2.
Patient characteristics before and after the pandemic.
| Before the Pandemic (n = 73) |
After the Pandemic (n = 20) |
p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 80 (70–83) | 79 (70–87) | 0.918 |
| Sex (Male) | 68.5% (n = 50) | 50.0% (n = 10) | 0.186 |
| Smoking | |||
| Ex or Current | 72.6% (n = 53) | 50.0%(n = 10) | 0.065 |
| IIPs | 84.9% (n = 62) | 85.0% (n = 17) | 1 |
| IPF | 46.6% (n = 34) | 35.0% (n = 7) | 0.411 |
| non-IPF (iNSIP) | 38.4% (n = 28) | 50.0%(n = 10) | 0.414 |
| CTD-ILD | 15.1% (n = 11) | 15.0% (n = 3) | 1 |
| RA | 8.2% (n = 6) | 5.0% (n = 1) | 1 |
| DM PM | 6.8% (n = 5) | 0% (n = 0) | 0.581 |
| SLE | 1.4% (n = 1) | 0% (n = 0) | 1 |
| SSc | 0% (n = 0) | 10.0% (n = 2) | 0.044 |
| Stage I or II | 17.8% (n = 13) | 0% (n = 0) | 0.052 |
| Duration of illness (years) | 4.0 (3.0–5.0) | 4.0 (1.0–6.0) | 0.501 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Asthma | 0% (n = 0) | 0% (n = 0) | N.D |
| COPD | 8.2%(n = 6) | 35.0%(n = 7) | 0.006 |
| Cardiac diseases | 19.2% (n = 14) | 40.0% (n = 8) | 0.074 |
| NIDDM type 2 | 8.2% (n = 6) | 35.0% (n = 7) | 0.006 |
| Maintenance hemodialysis | 1.4% (n = 1) | 0% (n = 0) | 1 |
| Malignant diseases | 17.8% (n = 13) | 25.0% (n = 5) | 0.526 |
| Respiratory viruses | |||
| SARS-CoV-2 | 0% (n = 0) | 10.0% (n = 2) | 0.044 |
| Bacteria | 1.4% (n = 1) | 5.0% (n = 1) | 0.386 |
| MRSA | 1.4% (n = 1) | 0% (n = 0) | 1 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 0% (n = 0) | 5.0% (n = 1) | 0.215 |
| Vital signs | |||
| BT (°C) | 36.6 (36.6–37.2) | 36.7 (36.6–37.1) | 0.191 |
| RR (breaths/min) | 22 (18–28) | 24 (20–32) | 0.209 |
| ΔHR/ΔBT | 36.3 (15.9–190.3) | 16.5 (7.5–32.0) | 0.109 |
| SpO2 (%) | 88.0 (82.0–95.0) | 86.0 (81.0–91.0) | 0.784 |
| BMI | 22.4 (19.4–25.3) | 21.5 (16.0–26.0) | 0.726 |
| Symptoms | |||
| nasal discharge | 5.5% (n = 4) | 5.0% (n = 1) | 1 |
| sore throat | 1.4% (n = 1) | 0% (n = 0) | 1 |
| dyspnea | 1.4% (n = 1) | 0% (n = 0) | 0.085 |
| Antifibrotic agents | 12.3% (n = 9) | 0% (n = 0) | 0.197 |
| Previous episodes of AEs | 16.4% (n = 12) | 5.0% (n = 1) | 0.285 |
The FilmArray® Respiratory Panel 2.1 was applied for 79 admitted patients from Jan 2020 to 2023. Data are expressed as percentages (numbers) or medians (interquartile ranges). The stage classification was based on the criteria of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan [10]. AE, acute exacerbation; BMI, body mass index; BT, body temperature; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CTD-ILD, connective tissue disease–interstitial lung disease; IIPs, idiopathic interstitial pneumonias; IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; non-IPF (iNSIP), idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; NIDDM, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RR, respiratory rate; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; SSc, systemic scleroderma.