Table 1. Baseline characteristics.
| Ceftriaxone + doxycycline (N = 82) | Ceftriaxone + clarithromycin-hydroxychloroquine (N = 93) | Ceftriaxone + placebo (N = 96) | P valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age—mean (SD) | 48.6 (12.8) | 48.5 (13.1) | 50.2 (9.7) | 0.56 |
| Female sex–no. (%) | 38 (46) | 41 (44) | 46 (48) | 0.87 |
| Employment statusb –no. (%) | ||||
| Paid work | 49 (60) | 65 (70) | 76 (79) | 0.02 |
| Unpaid work | 7 (9) | 6 (7) | 7 (7) | 0.87 |
| Unemployed | 4 (5) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 0.47 |
| Student | 3 (4) | 5 (5) | 2 (2) | 0.49 |
| Housewife/man | 14 (17) | 15 (16) | 14 (15) | 0.90 |
| General old-age insurance | 11 (13) | 8 (9) | 8 (8) | 0.46 |
| Sickness Benefits Act | 17 (21) | 20 (22) | 27 (28) | 0.43 |
| Labor disability (WIA) | 17 (21) | 15 (16) | 6 (6) | 0.02 |
| EQ-5D index score–mean (SD) | 0.58 (0.26) | 0.59 (0.25) | 0.64 (0.23) | 0.22 |
| Direct costs within healthcarec –mean (SD) | 23 (39) | 36 (89) | 15 (26) | 0.05 |
| Pain medication (€) | 7 (19) | 5 (10) | 6 (13) | 0.68 |
| Healthcare consumption (€) | 497 (785) | 1292 (5611) | 582 (2074) | 0.25 |
| Direct costs outside healthcarec –mean (SD) Travel expenses (€) | 23 (39) | 36 (89) | 15 (26) | 0.05 |
| Indirect costsc –mean (SD) Productivity losses (€) | 2544 (5535) | 1972 (4824) | 2710 (4660) | 0.57 |
| Total costsc (€)–mean (SD) | 3072 (5770) | 3036 (7328) | 3314 (5078) | 0.96 |
a Continuous variables were compared between the groups by using an ANOVA, categorical variables by using chi-squared tests. Not normally distributed data were analyzed with a bootstrapped ANOVA.
b Categories are not mutually exclusive.
c Baseline costs are the costs in Euros made in the three months before the start of the study. WIA, Work and Income according to Labor Capacity Act.