Table 2 Treatments used by patients in the study, and the Pearson correlation with age, age at diagnosis and years since diagnosis with usage (scored 3 = 'At present', 2 = 'In the past' and 1 = 'Never used').
| Â | Usage | Correlation of usage with: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | "Never used" | "In the past" | "At present" | Age | Age at diagnosis | Years since diagnosis |
Regular antibiotics | 10 (11%) | 36 (39%) | 46 (50%) | .042 (NS) | .227 (NS) | .236 (NS) |
Bronchodilators (inhaler or tablets) | 15 (17%) | 23 (25%) | 53 (58%) | .166 (NS) | .122 (NS) | .008 (NS) |
Mucolytics to thin the sputum | 75 (89%) | 6 (7%) | 3 (4%) | .029 (NS) | .092 (NS) | -.046 (NS) |
Physiotherapy | 1 (1%) | 21 (23%) | 69 (76%) | -.139 (NS) | -.022 (NS) | -.174 (NS) |
Breathing exercises and techniques | 11(12%) | 13 (14%) | 68 (74%) | .119 (NS) | .228 (NS) | -.120 (NS) |
Expectorants | 64 (73%) | 19 (22%) | 5 (6%) | .409 (p < .001) | .420 (p = .001) | .176 (NS) |
Antacids or other drugs for heartburn or reflux | 64 (72%) | 16 (18%) | 9 (10%) | .380 (p < .001) | .398 (p = .002) | .101 (NS) |