Table 1.
Characteristics of the contacts with acute pharyngitis and lower respiratory tract infections. Number (%) unless otherwise specified.
| Acute pharyngitis (n = 1012) | Lower respiratory tract infections (n = 1928) | |
|---|---|---|
| Female gender | 645 (63.7) | 1147 (59.5) |
| Age, mean (SD) | 40.4 (18.8) | 55.3 (19.2) |
| Significant comorbidity | 83 (8.2) | 579 (30.0) |
| Allergy to penicillin | 25 (2.5) | 59 (3.1) |
| Request for antibiotics | 12 (1.2) | 36 (1.9) |
| Prior days of symptoms, mean (SD) | 3.87 (4.5) | 5.22 (5.8) |
| Fever | 371 (36.7) | 839 (43.5) |
| Cough | 458 (45.3) | 1708 (88.6) |
| Odynophagia | 865 (85.5) | 434 (22.5) |
| Tonsillar exudates | 193 (19.1) | 4 (0.2) |
| Tender cervical nodes | 176 (17.4) | 13 (0.7) |
| Increase of dyspnoea | 29 (2.9) | 580 (30.1) |
| Increase sputum volume | 66 (6.5) | 709 (36.8) |
| Increase of sputum purulence | 38 (3.8) | 415 (21.5) |
| Severity of the infection: | ||
| Mild | 747 (73.8) | 897 (46.5) |
| Moderate | 201 (19.9) | 664 (34.5) |
| Important | 48 (4.7) | 282 (14.6) |
| Severe | 4 (0.4) | 45 (2.3) |
| Very severe | – (–) | 9 (0.5) |
| Tests performed: | ||
| Pulse oxymetry | 177 (17.5) | 790 (41.0) |
| X-ray performed | 7 (0.7) | 126 (6.5) |
| Referred to the hospital | 1 (0.1) | 53 (2.7) |
| Antibiotics prescribed | 497 (49.1) | 933 (48.4) |
SD, standard deviation.