Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics
| Variables | Azithromycin (n = 428) | Beta-lactam (n = 167) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 65 ± 11.0 | 69 ± 11.9 | < 0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2), (mean ± SD) | 30 ± 10.2 | 31 ± 11.8 | 0.31 |
| Male, n (%) | 177 (41.4) | 57 (34.1) | 0.11 |
| Smoking History, n (%) | 0.03 | ||
| Active | 233 (54.4) | 75 (44.9) | |
| Non-active | 190 (44.4) | 86 (51.5) | |
| Unknown | 5 (1.2) | 6 (3.6) | |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||
| Myocardial infarction | 67 (15.7) | 31 (18.6) | 0.39 |
| Congestive heart failure | 140 (32.7) | 53 (31.7) | 0.82 |
| Cerebrovascular accident | 59 (13.8) | 23 (13.8) | 0.99 |
| Dementia | 13 (3) | 9 (5.4) | 0.17 |
| Ulcer | 104 (24.3) | 38 (22.8) | 0.69 |
| Acquired immune deficiency syndrome | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0.53 |
| Diabetes | 131 (30.6) | 60 (35.9) | 0.21 |
| Mild liver disease | 12 (2.8) | 3 (1.8) | 0.48 |
| Moderate or severe liver disease | 8 (1.9) | 5 (3) | 0.39 |
| Moderate or severe renal disease | 90 (21) | 53 (31.7) | 0.08 |
| Non-metastatic tumor | 46 (10.7) | 10 (6) | 0.07 |
| Leukemia or lymphoma | 3 (0.7) | 1 (0.6) | 0.89 |
| Metastatic solid tumor | 4 (0.9) | 1 (0.6) | 0.68 |
| Connective tissue | 15 (3.5) | 4 (2.4) | 0.49 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 26 (6.1) | 11 (6.6) | 0.82 |
| Charlson Weighted Index of Comorbidity (CWIC) score (mean ± SD) | 2.4 ± 1.7 | 2.4 ± 1.6 | 0.89 |
| Prior to admission therapies | |||
| Antibiotics, n (%) | 34 (7.9) | 27 (16.2) | 0.004 |
| Home oxygen therapy, n (%) | 135 (31.6) | 52 (31.1) | 0.63 |
| Systemic corticosteroids, n (%) | 44 (10.3) | 24 (14.4) | 0.16 |
| Chronic steroids use, n (%) | 16 (3.7) | 3 (1.8) | 0.23 |
| Failed outpatient antibiotic therapy, n (%) | 14 (3.3) | 20 (12) | < 0.001 |
| Hospitalization in past 90 days, n (%) | 150 (35) | 69 (41.3) | 0.15 |