Table 1. Clinical characteristics of the studied cohort.
NLRI = patients with no lower respiratory infections. YLRI = patients with lower respiratory infections.
| Variables | NLRI (N = 20) | YLRI (N = 20) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years of Age, median (range) | 8.5 (<1–30) | 12.5 (<1–34) | 0.342 |
| Daily Inhaled Steroids | 6 | 12 | 0.068 |
| Feeding Route | 0.210 | ||
| G-tube | 12 | 7 | |
| GJ-tube | 4 | 2 | |
| Oral | 2 | 2 | |
| Oral & G-tube | 2 | 9 | |
| Gender Male | 15 | 14 | 0.999 |
| Oxygen Requirement | 3 | 8 | 0.090 |
| Prophylactic Antibiotics | 5 | 2 | 0.408 |
| Multiple Tracheostomy Changes | 9 | 6 | 0.514 |
| Ventilator Use | 0.113 | ||
| Continuous | 14 | 7 | |
| Night/Nap | 4 | 11 | |
| No | 2 | 2 |
Clinical characteristics were compared between NLRI and YLRI patients using Fisher’s exact, or Mann-Whitney tests, as appropriate.