Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the two groups
| Characteristic | PCT group (n = 128) | Control group (n = 127) |
|---|---|---|
| Median age, yr |
54±14 |
55±15 |
| Mean Asthma history, yr |
25±17 |
27±18 |
| Gender, no. (%) |
|
|
| Male |
64 (50.0) |
59 (46.5) |
| Female |
64 (50.0) |
68 (53.5) |
| HR, times/min |
95±24 |
97±26 |
| RR, times/min |
24±12 |
25±10 |
| pH |
7.39±0.06 |
7.38±0.05 |
| SaO2, %* |
94±5 |
95±3 |
| PaO2, mmHg* |
79±19 |
75±17 |
| PaCO2, mmHg* |
44±12 |
42±10 |
| WBC, ×109/L |
12.1±4.6 |
11.9±5.2 |
| hsCRP, mg/L |
8.2 (4.5 ~ 15.7) |
6.9 (5.1 ~ 17.6) |
| PCT, ng/ml |
0.137 (0.068 ~ 0.252) |
0.119 (0.057 ~ 0.267) |
| IL-6, pg/ml |
14.5 (8.3 ~ 26.1) |
17.3 (6.7 ~ 31.4) |
| TNF-α, pg/ml |
27.5 (13.4 ~ 49.5) |
32.4 (15.7 ~ 52.1) |
| Severity of asthma |
|
|
| Mild |
47 (36.7) |
50 (39.4) |
| Moderate |
54 (42.2) |
52 (40.9) |
| Severe |
17 (13.3) |
17 (13.4) |
| Critical |
10 (7.8) |
8 (6.3) |
| FEV1, % |
57.8±17.2 |
54.3±16.7 |
| Mean symptom score | 4.42±0.85 | 4.35±0.79 |
Note: Data are presented as No. (%), M (QL ~ QU) or mean ± SD; * = the value after oxygen.