Table 2.
Comparison of patients with and without sputum samples collected
| With sputum (n = 294) | Without sputum (n = 194) | P‐value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 79.7 ± 7.4 | 83.0 ± 8.1 | <0.001 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 109 (37.1%) | 97 (50%) | 0.005 |
| Nursing home residence, n (%) | 48 (16.3%) | 68 (35.1%) | <0.001 |
| CCI, median (IQR) | 1 (1–3) | 2 (1–3) | 0.005 |
| Katz score, median (IQR) | 6 (4–6) | 5 (1–6) | <0.001 |
| Comorbid illnesses, n (%) | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 80 (27.2%) | 60 (30.9%) | 0.374 |
| Congestive heart failure | 31 (10.5%) | 34 (17.5%) | 0.026 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 46 (15.6%) | 32 (16.5%) | 0.802 |
| Chronic lung diseases | 129 (43.9%) | 57 (29.4%) | 0.001 |
| Cerebrovascular accident | 50 (17.0%) | 43 (22.2%) | 0.156 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 26 (8.8%) | 28 (14.4%) | 0.054 |
| Chronic liver disease | 11 (3.7%) | 1 (0.1%) | 0.033 |
| Dementia | 53 (18.0%) | 71 (36.6%) | <0.001 |
| Active malignancy | 24 (8.2%) | 12 (6.2%) | 0.413 |
| Chest symptoms, n (%) | |||
| Shortness of breath | 152 (51.7%) | 97 (50%) | 0.713 |
| Cough | 203 (69.0%) | 132 (68.0%) | 0.815 |
| Expectoration | 171 (58.2%) | 93 (47.9%) | 0.026 |
| Hemoptysis | 49 (16.7%) | 40 (20.6%) | 0.269 |
| Chest pain | 113 (38.4%) | 74 (38.1%) | 0.948 |
| Physical findings | |||
| Fever, n (%) | 158 (53.7%) | 93 (47.9%) | 0.209 |
| Hypotension, n (%) | 9 (3.06%) | 10 (3.06%) | 0.242 |
| Tachypnoea, n (%) | 35 (11.9) | 33 (17.0%) | 0.111 |
| MAC, cm,(mean ± SD) | 23.4 ± 3.5 | 22.7 ± 3.8 | 0.049 |
| Confusion, n (%) | 39 (13.3%) | 60 (30.9%) | <0.001 |
| Routine blood tests | |||
| Sodium (mmol/L), median (IQR) | 137 (134–140) | 138 (134–141) | 0.288 |
| Urea >7 mmol/L, n (%) | 137 (46.6%) | 112 (57.7%) | 0.016 |
| Creatinine (μmol/L), median (IQR) | 94 (75–118) | 96 (72–133) | 0.794 |
| Albumin (g/L), median (IQR) | 35 (32–38) | 34 (30–38) | 0.087 |
| Leukocytosis, n (%) | 148 (50.3%) | 100 (51.5%) | 0.794 |
| ALT (U/L) | 18 (13–28) | 19 (13–29) | 0.837 |
| Chest radiographs, n (%) | |||
| Multi‐lobar pneumonia | 39 (13.3%) | 40 (20.6%) | 0.031 |
| Pleural effusion | 19 (6.5%) | 14 (7.2%) | 0.745 |
| CURB score, n (%) | |||
| 0–1 | 240 (81.6%) | 136 (70.1%) | |
| 2–4 | 54 (18.4%) | 58 (29.9%) | 0.003 |
ALT, alanine transaminase; CCI, Charlson's Comorbidity Index; CURB, confusion, blood urea nitrogen, respiratory rate and low blood pressure; MAC, mid‐arm circumference.