Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population
| Characteristic | No. of patients (%) (n = 955)a |
|---|---|
| Age, mean ± S.D. (range) (years) | 57.3 ± 13.7 (16–94) |
| Male | 604 (63.2) |
| Underlying diseases | |
| Bronchopulmonary disorder | 286 (29.9) |
| Cardiovascular disorder | 190 (19.9) |
| Neoplastic disorder | 112 (11.7) |
| Neurological disorder | 78 (8.2) |
| Liver disorder | 42 (4.4) |
| Renal disorder | 39 (4.1) |
| Asplenia or hyposplenia | 7 (0.7) |
| None | 278 (29.1) |
| Co-morbid conditions | |
| Neutropenia | 33/912 (3.6) |
| Use of immunosuppressant | 25/912 (2.7) |
| Use of corticosteroid | 18/912 (2.0) |
| Smoking | 238/912 (26.1) |
| High alcohol intake | 60/912 (6.6) |
| Residence in nursing home | 29/912 (3.2) |
| Recent hospitalisation | 69/912 (7.6) |
| Prior use of antimicrobial agent | 230/760 (30.3) |
S.D., standard deviation.
a
Exact numbers are given for each variable; information was not available for all patients. Unless otherwise indicated, data represent number of patients (%).