Table 4.

First-line treatment indicated by pediatricians for acute cough, stratified according to the different Italian areas, and the causes of acute cough

First line treatments	Overall Italy (n=300)	Italian areas			Causes of acute cough
		Northern (n=90)	Central (n=66)	Southern (n=144)	Allergic rhinitis/asthma (n=44)	Viral infections (n=134)	URTIs (n=92)	LRTIs (n=22)	Others (n=8)
None	24 (8.0%)	2 (2.2%), p=0.016	10 (15.2%), p=0.004	12 (8.3%), p=0.616	0, p=0.314	20 (14.9%), p=0.046	2 (2.2%), p=0.194	0, p=0.517	2 (25.0%), p=0.015
Aerosol therapy	79 (26.3%)	21 (23.3%), p=0.904	12 (18.2%), p=0.211	46 (31.9%), p=0.134	18 (40.9%), p=0.005	27 (20.1%), p=0.388	30 (32.6%), p=0.262	4 (18.2%), p=0.781	0, p=0.155
Oral corticosteroids	30 (10.0%)	10 (11.1%), p=0.250	3 (4.5%), p=0.102	17 (11.8%), p=0.292	6 (13.6%), p=0.201	10 (7.5%), p=0.007	10 (10.9%), p=0.361	2 (9.1%), p=0.945	2 (25.0%), p=0.296
Symptomatics	53 (17.7%)	14 (15.6%), p=0.686	6 (9.1%), p=0.079	33 (22.9%), p=0.048	0, p=0.237	33 (24.6%), p=0.012	20 (21.7%), p=0.011	0, p=0.407	0, p=0.833
Antibiotics	66 (22.0%)	21 (23.3%), p=0.749	25 (37.9%), p=0.005	20 (13.9%), p=0.001	18 (40.9%), p=0.006	20 (14.9%), p=0.066	16 (17.4%), p=0.427	12 (54.5%), p=0.010	0, p=0.148
Phytotherapics	48 (16.0%)	22 (24.4%), p=0.017	10 (15.2%), p=0.857	16 (11.1%), p=0.029	2 (4.5%), p=0.203	24 (17.9%), p=0.316	14 (15.2%), p=0.401	4 (18.2%), p=0.558	4 (50.0%), p=0.070
Overall p-valuea	–	p<0.001			p<0.001

Notes: p-values compare the frequency within each area versus the total frequency observed in Italy (hierarchical log-linear model).

^aPearson’s chi-square test.

Abbreviations: LRTIs, lower respiratory tract infections; URTIs, upper respiratory tract infections.