Table 3.
Summary statistics for IPD database. Values are numbers (%) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristics | Combined | RCTs | Observational studies | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No of studies | No of participants | No antibiotics (n=19 360) | Immediate (n=28 129) | Delayed (n=8193) | No of studies | No of participants | No antibiotics (n=985) | Immediate (n=1082) | Delayed (n=1745) | No of studies | No of participants | No antibiotics (n=18 375) | Immediate (n=27 047) | Delayed (n=6448) | |||
| Age, years (mean (SD)) | 13 | 55 644 | 31.6 (23.4) | 44.1 (22.3) | 37.0 (22.4) | 9 | 3779 | 27.2 (21.9) | 23.4 (22.4) | 24.2 (21.2) | 4 | 51 865 | 31.8 (23.4) | 44.9 (21.9) | 40.4 (21.4) | ||
| Sex | 12 | 54 848 | — | — | — | 8 | 2992 | — | — | — | 4 | 51 856 | — | — | — | ||
| Male | — | — | 7714 (40.4) | 11 302 (40.6) | 3047 (38.5) | — | — | 281 (39.7) | 352 (43.0) | 621 (42.4) | — | — | 7433 (40.5) | 10 950 (40.5) | 2426 (37.6) | ||
| Female | — | — | 11 363 (59.6) | 16 557 (59.4) | 4865 (61.5) | — | — | 427 (60.3) | 466 (67.0) | 845 (67.6) | — | — | 10 936 (59.5) | 16 091 (59.5) | 4020 (62.4) | ||
| Condition | 13 | 55 682 | — | — | — | 9 | 3812 | — | — | — | 4 | 51 870 | — | — | — | ||
| Cough | 4 | — | 14 067 (72.7) | 21 497 (76.4) | 5031 (61.4) | 1 | — | 273 (27.7) | 262 (24.2) | 271 (15.5) | 3 | — | 13 794 (75.1) | 21 235 (78.5) | 4760 (73.8) | ||
| Sore throat | 2 | — | 4813 (24.9) | 6058 (21.5) | 1926 (23.5) | 1 | — | 232 (23.6) | 246 (22.7) | 238 (13.6) | 1 | — | 4581 (24.9) | 5812 (21.5) | 1688 (26.2) | ||
| RTI | 4 | — | 364 (1.9) | 311 (1.1) | 846 (10.3) | 4 | — | 364 (40.0) | 311 (28.7) | 846 (48.5) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Otitis media | 3 | — | 116 (0.6) | 263 (0.9) | 390 (4.8) | 3 | — | 116 (11.8) | 263 (24.3) | 390 (22.3) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Baseline severity average score, 0-4 (median (IQR)) | 13 | 54 956 | 0.7 (0.4-1.1) | 0.9 (0.6-1.2) | 0.8 (0.5-1.2) | 8 | 3125 | 1.5 (0.75-2.0) | 1.5 (0.75-2.1) | 1.2 (0.8-1.8) | 4 | 51 831 | 0.7 (0.4-1.0) | 0.8 (0.6-1.2) | 0.8 (0.5-1.1) | ||
| Below median | — | — | 14 387 (75.2) | 18 048 (64.7) | 5616 (70.8) | — | — | 400 (51.3) | 490 (57.2) | 895 (60.1) | — | — | 13 987 (76.2) | 17 558 (65.0) | 4721 (73.2) | ||
| Median and above | — | — | 4750 (24.8) | 9837 (35.3) | 2318 (29.2) | — | — | 380 (48.7) | 367 (42.8) | 593 (39.9) | — | — | 4370 (23.8) | 9470 (35.0) | 1725 (26.8) | ||
| Previous duration illness | 11 | 54 462 | — | — | — | 6 | 2700 | — | — | — | 4 | 51 762 | — | — | — | ||
| Below median | — | — | 7794 (40.9) | 10 388 (37.5) | 3565 (46.3) | — | — | 381 (52.0) | 403 (57.4) | 683 (53.9) | — | — | 7413 (40.5) | 9985 (37.0) | 2882 (44.8) | ||
| Median and above | — | — | 11 260 (59.1) | 17 318 (62.5) | 4137 (53.7) | — | — | 351 (48.0) | 299 (42.6) | 583 (46.1) | — | — | 10 909 (59.5) | 17 019 (63.0) | 3554 (55.2) | ||
| Fever at baseline | 12 | 53 761 | — | — | — | 8 | 2896 | — | — | — | 4 | 50 865 | — | — | — | ||
| No | — | — | 11 169 (59.4) | 13 472 (49.3) | 4483 (58.8) | — | — | 604 (79.7) | 668 (81.7) | 1002 (82.1) | — | — | 10 565 (58.6) | 12 804 (48.3) | 3381 (53.7) | ||
| Yes | — | — | 7634 (40.6) | 13 865 (50.7) | 3138 (41.2) | — | — | 154 (20.3) | 150 (18.3) | 218 (17.9) | — | — | 7480 (41.5) | 13 715 (51.7) | 2920 (46.3) | ||
| Any lung disease | 11 | 47 504 | — | — | — | 7 | 2389 | — | — | — | 4 | 45 115 | — | — | — | ||
| No | — | — | 11 719 (80.1) | 19 177 (74.2) | 5618 (80.1) | — | — | 514 (88.9) | 560 (88.9) | 1036 (87.7) | — | — | 11 205 (79.7) | 18 617 (73.8) | 4582 (78.5) | ||
| Yes | — | — | 2914 (19.9) | 6679 (25.8) | 1397 (19.9) | — | — | 64 (11.1) | 70 (11.1) | 145 (12.3) | — | — | 2850 (20.3) | 6609 (26.2) | 1252 (21.5) | ||
| Follow-up symptom severity score, 0-6 (median (IQR)) | 9 | 7074 | 1.8 (1-3) | 2.03 (1.2-3.5) | 2 (1.1-3.3) | 6 | 2148 | 2.4 (1.4-3.8) | 2.0 (0.8-3.0) | 2.0 (1.0-3.0) | 3 | 4926 | 1.7 (1.0-2.8) | 2.1 (1.2-3.7) | 2.0 (1.2-3.9) | ||
| Symptom duration, days (median (IQR)) | 11 | 8607 | 10 (5-28) | 9 (4-28) | 7 (3-12) | 8 | 2918 | 5 (2-11) | 6 (3-10) | 6 (3-10) | 3 | 5689 | 13 (6-28) | 13 (5-28) | 9 (4-28) | ||
| Reconsultation | 11 | 54 105 | — | — | — | 8 | 2840 | — | — | — | 4 | 51 265 | — | — | — | ||
| No | — | — | 15 632 (83.2) | 21 483 (77.3) | 6433 (85.4) | — | — | 556 (72.8) | 678 (71.2) | 842 (74.9) | — | — | 15 076 (83.7) | 20 805 (77.5) | 5591 (87.2) | ||
| Yes | — | — | 3155 (16.8) | 6302 (22.7) | 1100 (14.6) | — | — | 208 (27.2) | 274 (28.8) | 282 (25.1) | — | — | 2947 (16.4) | 6028 (22.5) | 818 (12.8) | ||
| Patient satisfaction score, 1-4 (median (IQR)) | 8 | 4584 | 4 (3-4) | 4 (3-4) | 3.2 (2.7-4) | — | 2100 | 4 (2.7-4) | 4 (3-4) | 3.2 (2.7-4) | — | 2484 | 3 (3-4) | 4 (3-4) | 4 (3-4) | ||
IPD=individual patient data; IQR=interquartile range; RCT=randomised controlled trial; RTI=respiratory tract infection; SD=standard deviation.