Table 3.
Comparison of respiratory support and outcomes in patients grouped by the first RT-PCR result.
| Variable | Positive RT-PCR | Negative RT-PCR | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPAP/NIV, n (%) | 0.540° | ||
| No | 207 (87.7) | 56 (84.8) | |
| Yes | 29 (12.3) | 10 (15.2) | |
| OTI during hospitalization, n (%) | 1.000§ | ||
| No | 222 (94.1) | 62 (93.9) | |
| Yes | 14 (5.9) | 4 (6.1) | |
| Emergency department outcome, n (%) | <0.001§ | ||
| Discharged | 73 (30.9) | 4 (6.1) | |
| Admitted | 157 (66.5) | 62 (93.9) | |
| Transferred | 3 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Death | 3 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Hospital ward, n (%) | <0.001§ | ||
| General ward | 88 (55.0) | 52 (83.9) | |
| High dependency unit | 17 (10.6) | 8 (12.9) | |
| Intensive care unit | 55 (34.4) | 2 (3.2) | |
| ICU/HDU LOS, median [IQR] | 13.50 [8.00–23.00] | 7.50 [4.50–21.25] | 0.241# |
| Hospital LOS, median [IQR] | 9.00 [0.00–20.00] | 10.00 [6.00–20.50] | 0.046# |
| Hospital outcome, n (%) | |||
| Discharged | <0.001§ | ||
| At home | 57 (57.0) | 37 (84.1) | |
| Rehabilitation | 43 (43.0) | 3 (6.8) | |
| Transferred to another hospital | 0 (0.0) | 4 (9.1) | |
| Death | 0.307° | ||
| No | 100 (63.7) | 44 (71.0) | |
| Yes | 57 (36.3) | 18 (29.0) | |
CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure; OTI = orotracheal intubation; ICU = intensive care unit; HDU = high dependency unit; LOS = length of stay.
Data are described as absolute frequencies and percentages (in brackets) for categorical variables and as median and interquartile range [IQR] for quantitative variables. Comparisons are made with: #: Wilcoxon rank-sum test; °: Chi-squared test; §: Fisher's exact test.