Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of study population (n = 135)
| Age at admission (years); mean (SD) [range] |
4.8 (3.9) [0–17 years] |
| Sex (male); n (%) |
76 (56.3) |
| Prematurity (gestational age <37 weeks); n (%) |
9 (6.7) |
| Month of admission: n (%) |
|
| January – March |
47 (34.8) |
| April – June |
30 (22.2) |
| July – September |
25 (18.5) |
| October – December |
33 (24.4) |
| Length of history of symptoms (days); median (IQR) |
|
| Patients without effusion |
4 (3–7) |
| Patients with effusion |
7 (5–10) |
| Fever prior to presentation; n (%) |
127 (94.1) |
| Previous visit to physician in prior 24 hours documented; n (%) |
86 (63.7) |
| Antimicrobials prescribed prior to presentation documented; n (%) |
56 (41.5) |
| Hospitalization for asthma in past year; n (%) |
3 (2.2) |
| Attendance at daycare or school documented; n (%) |
100 (74.1) |
| Up to date immunizations documented; n (%) |
120 (88.9) |
| Admitted from: n (%) |
|
| CHEO Emergency Department |
108 (80) |
| Transferred from peripheral hospital as outpatient |
17 (12.6) |
| Transferred from peripheral hospital as inpatient | 10 (7.4) |