Table 1.
Characteristics of the patients
| Characteristic | Place of residency | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home (n=108) | Nursing home (n=57) | ||
| Mean age in years (±SD) | 81.4 (±6.6) | 83.4 (±7.1) | 0.069 |
| Sex (M/F) | 53/55 | 23/34 | 0.366 |
| LRTI (no. [%]) | |||
| Pneumonia | 56 (62.9) | 33 (37.1) | 0.564 |
| Bronchitis | 37 (72.5) | 14 (27.5) | 0.269 |
| AECOPD | 15 (60) | 10 (40) | 0.693 |
| Comorbidities, mean (±SD) | 1.8 (±1.2) | 2.3 (±1.3) | 0.005 |
| Mortality, no. (%) | 10 (9.3) | 12 (21.1) | 0.061 |
| Antibiotic therapya, no. (%) | |||
| Prior to admission | 30 (27.8) | 24 (42.1) | 0.070 |
| Functional statusb, mean (±SD) | |||
| Prior to admission | 1.3 (±2.3) | 4.7 (±3.3) | <0.001 |
| Mental status | |||
| Dementia, no. (%) | 7 (6.5) | 23 (40.4) | <0.001 |
| Hodkinson scorec, mean (±SD) | |||
| On admission | 8.7 (±2.7) | 4.7 (±4.5) | <0.001 |
| Leucocyte count (109/l), mean (±SD) | 9.95 (±5.1) | 11.5 (±6.6) | 0.108 |
| CRP (mg/l), mean (±SD) | 101.3 (±97.2) | 112.4 (±108.6) | 0.404 |
| Albumin (g/l), mean (±SD) | 33.7 (±5.8) | 30.6 (±5.1) | 0.023 |
| Ureum (mg/dl), mean (±SD) | 52.1 (±22.6) | 63.8 (±35) | 0.012 |
LRTI, lower respiratory tract infection; AECOPD, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRP, C-reactive protein
aAntibiotic therapy: patients on antibiotics before hospitalisation
bFunctional score (0–10): normal score <4
cHodkinson score (0–10): normal score ≥8