Table 4.
Comparison of characteristics in 107 episodes of virus-positive and virus-negative COPD exacerbations
| Virus-positive | Virus-negative | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 46 (43%) | n = 61 (57%) | CI95%Δ proportion | p value | |
| Parameter | n (%) | n (%) | ||
| Current smoker | 24 (52.2) | 29 (47.5) | –0.14–0.29 | 0.58 |
| Systemic steroids prior to admission | 15 | 20 | –0.18–0.19 | 0.92 |
| New chest radiograph changes | 15 (32.6) | 30 (49.2) | –0.37–0.04 | 0.13 |
| Died | 10 (21.7) | 13 (21.3) | –0.16–0.17 | 0.85 |
| Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | CI95%Δmean | ||
| Prodrome, days | 4.5 (4.3) | 4.7 (4.3) | –1.00–1.00 | 0.69 |
| Leucocyte count, × 109/l | 12.9 (4.8) | 15.4 (7.8) | –0.70–3.40 | 0.22 |
| Temperature on admission, °C | 36.6 (1.0) | 36.6 (0.7) | –0.30–0.30 | 0.87 |
| PaCO2 prior to ventilation, mmHg | 72.3 (26.1) | 76.7 (23.6) | –3.6–14.0 | 0.29 |
| APACHE II score | 18.8 (6.5) | 20.7 (5.5) | –5.0–0.0002 | 0.11 |
| NIV, hours | 26.6 (28.3) | 26.7 (28.8) | –8.0–7.0 | 0.93 |
| ETT, hours | 107.2 (132.0) | 99.5 (90.5) | –36.0–61.0 | 0.58 |
| ICU stay, days | 5.1 (5.2) | 5.2 (5.5) | –1.17–0.92 | 0.77 |
| Hospital stay, days | 14.7 (17.0) | 13.6 (12.6) | –1.83–3.16 | 0.63 |