Table 2.
Characteristics of children in the intervention and routine care groups at enrolment
| Study group | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| All patients (N = 240) | Test-Treat (N = 121) | Routine care (N = 119) | |
| Educational level of carers | |||
| None | 30 (12.5%) | 17 (14.0%) | 13 (10.9%) |
| Primary | 123 (51.2%) | 66 (54.5%) | 57 (47.9%) |
| Secondary School | 66 (27.5%) | 26 (21.5%) | 40 (33.6%) |
| Tertiary | 21 (8.8%) | 12 (9.9%) | 9 (7.6%) |
| Medication taken prior to study | |||
| Any Drug | 175 (72.9%) | 86 (71.1%) | 89 (74.8%) |
| Paracetamol | 160 (66.7%) | 78 (64.5%) | 82 (68.9%) |
| Amodiaquine | 15 (6.2%) | 6 (5.0%) | 9 (7.6%) |
| Amoxicillin | 12 (5.0%) | 9 (7.4%) | 3 (2.5%) |
| Artesunate | 7 (2.5%) | 4 (3.3%) | 2 (1.7%) |
| Co-amoxiclav | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Other drugs | 47 (19.6%) | 24 (19.5%) | 23 (19.7%) |
| Clinical features at initial assessment | |||
| Fever | 239 (99.6%) | 120 (99.2%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| Temperature, mean (sd) | 38.5 (0.9) | 38.5 (0.9) | 38.5 (0.9) |
| Poor feeding | 165 (68.7%) | 75 (62.0%) | 90 (75.6%) |
| Cough | 106 (44.2%) | 38 (31.4%) | 68 (57.1%) |
| Respiratory rate, mean (sd) | 31.4(10.9) | 32.0 (10.2) | 31.3 (11.1) |
| Rhinorrhoea | 92 (38.3%) | 20 (16.5%) | 72 (60.5%) |
| Vomiting | 92 (38.3%) | 43 (35.5%) | 49 (41.2%) |
| Headache | 64 (26.7%) | 34 (28.1%) | 30 (25.2%) |
| Diarrhoea | 42 (17.5%) | 12 (9.9%) | 30 (25.3%) |
| Chills | 39 (17.0%) | 13 (10.7%) | 26 (23.4%) |
| Inflamed tonsils | 14 (5.8%) | 13 (10.7%) | 1 (0.8%) |
| Inflamed Eardrum | 4 (1.7%) | 4 (3.3%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Sweating | 14 (5.8%) | 4 (3.3%) | 10 (8.4%) |
| Body pains | 10 (4.2%) | 4 (3.3%) | 6 (5.0%) |
| Ear pain | 6 (2.5%) | 3 (2.5%) | 3 (2.5%) |
| Others | 12 (5%) | 10 (7%) | 2 (2%) |