Table 1.
Demographic and clinical features of the study population
| Mean Age ± SD | 5.0 ± 4.1 yrs | Clinical findings | N (%) | Physical examinations | N (%) |
| Age range (min–max) | 1 mo–18 yrs | Cough | 992 (93.8) | Rale | 688 (65) |
| Age | N (%) | Fever | 911 (86.1) | Wheezing | 206 (19.5) |
| < 12 month | 146 (14.3) | Sputum | 825 (78) | Decreased aeration | 111 (10.5) |
| 1–3 yrs | 310 (30.3) | Rhinorrhea | 541 (51.1) | Hypoxia < 95% | 55 (5.2) |
| 4–6 yrs | 210 (20.5) | Poor oral intake | 137 (12.9) | Chest retraction | 50 (4.7) |
| 7–11 yrs | 281 (27.5) | Chill | 86 (8.1) | Prescribed antibiotics | N (%) |
| ≧ 12 yrs | 75 (7.3) | Sore throat | 86 (8.1) | Macrolide | 654 (69.6) |
| Unknown | 1 (0.1) | Dyspnea | 58 (5.5) | Cephalosporin | 383 (40.8) |
| Total | 1,023 | GI symptom | Penicillin series | 312 (33.2) | |
| Gender | N (%) | Vomiting | 70 (6.6) | Tetracyclin | 59 (6.3) |
| Male | 537 (52.5) | Diarrhea | 37 (3.5) | Quinolone | 39 (4.2) |
| Female | 486 (47.5) | Abdominal pain | 34 (3.2) | Aminoglycoside | 5 (0.5) |
| Place of treatment | N (%) | Myalgia | 36 (3.4) | Vancomycin | 3 (0.3) |
| Hospitalized | 976 (95.4) | Chest pain | 21 (2) | Lincomycin | 3 (0.3) |
| Outpatient clinic | 45 (4.4) | Hoarseness | 17 (1.6) | Total | 939 |
| Species of sample | N (%) | Rash | 11 (1) | ||
| Nasopharyngeal aspirates | 727 (71.1) | Hemoptysis | 5 (0.5) | ||
| Sputum | 195 (19.1) | Chest X-ray finding | N (%) | ||
| Nasopharyngeal swab | 73 (7.1) | Peribronchial infiltration | 470 (44.4) | ||
| Bronchoalveolar lavage | 12 (1.2) | Lobar infiltration | 453 (42.8) | ||
| Throat swab | 8 (0.8) | Interstitial infiltration | 117 (11.1) | ||
| Transtracheal aspirate | 2 (0.2) | Pleural effusion | 40 (3.8) | ||
N number, SD standard deviation, mo months, yrs years, GI gastrointestinal