Table 1.
Comparison of the clinical characteristics of Groups A, B and C (n = 223)
| Characteristic | Group A (n = 27) | Group B (n = 87) | Group C (n = 109) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Male, n (%) | 11 (40.7) | 33 (37.9) | 44 (40.4) | 0.941 |
| Age, years | 68.20 ± 16.25 | 61.52 ± 15.75 | 61.74 ± 13.70 | 0.270 |
| Disease duration, years | 11.68 ± 9.22 | 14.07 ± 13.36 | 16.67 ± 12.32 | 0.062 |
| Involved lung lobes, n | 2.27 ± 1.34 | 2.58 ± 1.27 | 3.45 ± 1.65 | 0.102 |
| Symptoms, n (%) | ||||
| Cough | 24 (88.9) | 80 (92.0) | 103 (94.5) | 0.834 |
| Expectoration | 22 (81.5) | 78 (89.7) | 95 (87.2) | 0.687 |
| Hemoptysis | 4 (14.8) | 19 (21.8) | 25 (22.9) | 0.463 |
| Dyspnea | 14 (51.9) | 52 (59.8) | 81 (74.3) | 0.013 |
| Medications, n (%) | ||||
| Inhaled antibiotics | 4 (14.8) | 19 (21.8) | 38 (34.9) | 0.021 |
| IV/oral antibiotics* | 6 (22.2) | 35 (40.2) | 62 (56.9) | < 0.001 |
| Bronchodilators | 8 (29.6) | 42 (48.3) | 73 (67.0) | < 0.001 |
| Mucoactive agents | 5 (18.5) | 23 (26.4) | 46 (42.2) | 0.009 |
| Long-term macrolides | 3 (11.1) | 16 (18.4) | 31 (28.4) | 0.038 |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | ||||
| COPD | 5 (18.5) | 24 (27.6) | 45 (41.3) | 0.007 |
| Asthma | 4 (14.8) | 14 (16.1) | 19 (17.4) | 0.902 |
| GERD | 3 (11.1) | 11 (12.6) | 24 (22.0) | 0.045 |
| Diabetes | 4 (14.8) | 15 (17.2) | 18 (16.5) | 0.958 |
| Osteoporosis | 3 (11.1) | 9 (10.3) | 15 (13.8) | 0.778 |
| Stroke | 4 (14.8) | 7 (8.0) | 9 (8.3) | 0.541 |
| Heart failure | 2 (7.4) | 8 (9.2) | 12 (11.0) | 0.796 |
| Coronary artery disease | 5 (18.5) | 14 (16.1) | 19 (17.4) | 0.952 |
| Liver disease | 0 (0.0) | 2 (2.3) | 1 (0.9) | 0.602 |
Footnote. Continuous variables (age, disease duration, and number of lobes involved): one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, and the data are presented as the means ± standard deviations. Categorical variables (sex, clinical manifestations): the chi-square test (χ2 test) was used, and the data are expressed as the"number of cases (percentage)". *IV/oral antibiotics: use within 6 months prior to enrollment. p, p value