Table 1.
Participant characteristics and pathogen detection
| Number of samples | 58 |
| Demographics | |
| Median age in months (IQR) | 4.8 (2.4,8.4) |
| Male (%) | 31 (53.4) |
| ED visit during autumn/winter (%) | 35 (60.3) |
| Diagnosed asthma (%) | 2 (3.4) |
| History of previous wheezing illness (%) | 16 (22.2) |
| Siblings (%) | 29 of 40 (72.5)* |
| Childcare attendance (%) | 12 of 40 (30.0)* |
| History of severe (hospitalized) ARI (%) | 27 of 39 (69.2)* |
| Antibiotics prescribed in the last year (%) | 12 of 38 (31.6)* |
| Clinical parameters | |
| Received supplemental oxygen in ED (%) | 11 (20.0) |
| Admitted to hospital (%) | 31 (57.4) |
| Received assisted ventilation in ED (%) | 4 (7.3) |
| Median clinical disease severity score (IQR) | 1 (0.5,2) |
| Severity score criteria | |
| Median score – oxygen saturation (IQR) | 0 (0,0) |
| Median score – inspiratory breath sounds (IQR) | 0 (0,0) |
| Median score – expiratory wheezing (IQR) | 0.5 (0,1) |
| Median score – accessory muscles (IQR) | 0.5 (0,1) |
| Median score – cerebral function (IQR) | 0 (0,0) |
| Bacterial detection | |
| S. pneumoniae (%) | 26 (44.8) |
| H. influenzae (%) | 28 (48.3) |
| M. catarrhalis (%) | 42 (72.4) |
| S. pneumoniae ply load† (IQR) | 2.1 × 101 (0, 3.5 × 103) |
| H. influenzae load† (IQR) | 0 (0, 4.0 × 103) |
| M. catarrhalis load† (IQR) | 5.6 × 102 (0, 1.3 × 104) |
| Total microbial load‡ (IQR) | 1.5 × 105 (3.9 × 104, 6.3 × 105) |
| Viral detection | |
| RSV (%) | 29 (50.0) |
| RSV‐A (%) | 21 (36.2) |
| RSV‐B (%) | 8 (13.8) |
| hRV (%) | 28 (48.3) |
| Enteroviruses (%) | 8 (13.8) |
| PIV (%) | 7 (12.1) |
| PIV‐1 (%) | 0 (0) |
| PIV‐2 (%) | 2 (3.4) |
| PIV‐3 (%) | 5 (8.6) |
| Metapneumovirus (%) | 5 (8.6) |
| Influenza A virus (%) | 2 (3.4) |
| Influenza B virus (%) | 0 (0) |
| Adenovirus (%) | 6 (10.3) |
| Bocavirus (%) | 4 (6.9) |
| Polyomaviruses (%) | 5 (8.6) |
| Coronaviruses (%) | 2 (3.4) |
| No. of viral species detected per sample (IQR) | 1 (1, 2) |
| Single virus detected (%) | 32 (55.2) |
| Multiple viruses detected (%) | 26 (44.8) |
*
These data were collected by questionnaire during the convalescent visit and were only available for a subset (38–40) of participants.
†
Median genomes per μL.
‡
Median 16S ribosomal RNA gene copies per μL.
ARI, acute respiratory infection; ED, emergency department; hRV, human rhinovirus; IQR, interquartile range; PIV, parainfluenza viruses; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.