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Table 1 Baseline patient and organization characteristics in the unmatched groups

From: Adjunctive corticosteroid therapy for inpatients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

Characteristic

No corticosteroid

Low-dose corticosteroids

High-dose corticosteroids

 

n = 1829

n = 267

n = 132

p value

Patient Characteristics

Age, years

49.2

±22.6

49.8

±21.1

53.7

±22.3

0.0760

Male

847

(46.3)

106

(39.7)

69

(52.3)

0.0405

Preexisting comorbid conditions

 Charlson comorbidity index

0.63

±1.0

1.17

±1.2

0.88

±0.9

< 0.0001

 Congestive heart failure

108

(5.9)

35

(13.1)

10

(7.6)

< 0.0001

 Renal disease

32

(1.8)

3

(1.1)

2

(1.5)

0.7493

 Liver disease

92

(5.0)

5

(1.9)

6

(4.5)

0.0717

 Diabetes without chronic complications

144

(7.9)

25

(9.4)

17

(12.9)

0.1086

 Diabetes with chronic complications

33

(1.8)

6

(2.2)

1

(0.8)

0.5723

 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

85

(4.6)

22

(8.2)

8

(6.1)

0.0413

 Bronchial asthma

157

(8.6)

110

(41.2)

31

(23.5)

< 0.0001

 Interstitial lung disease and fibrosis

62

(3.4)

19

(7.1)

34

(25.8)

< 0.0001

 Pleural effusion

117

(6.4)

14

(5.2)

11

(8.3)

0.4910

 Aspiration or drainage of pleural effusion

4

(0.2)

3

(1.1)

2

(1.5)

0.0108

Pneumonia characteristics

Parameters of the A-DROP

 Age (male ≥ 70 years, female ≥ 75 years)

473

(25.9)

58

(21.7)

43

(32.6)

0.0642

 Dehydration

201

(11.0)

39

(14.6)

19

(14.4)

0.1344

 Confusion

196

(10.7)

63

(23.6)

56

(42.4)

< 0.0001

 Respiratory failure

38

(2.1)

12

(4.5)

8

(6.1)

0.0025

 Low blood pressure

176

(9.6)

37

(13.9)

17

(12.9)

0.0638

Pneumonia severity

 Mild

1110

(60.7)

137

(51.3)

48

(36.4)

< 0.0001

 Moderate

645

(35.3)

111

(41.6)

75

(56.8)

 

 Severe

58

(3.2)

14

(5.2)

6

(4.5)

 

 Extremely severe

16

(0.9)

5

(1.9)

3

(2.3)

 

Other treatments

Anti-mycoplasmal drug use

 Macroride

695

(38.0)

104

(39.0)

49

(37.1)

0.9314

 Quinolone

548

(30.0)

116

(43.4)

69

(52.3)

< 0.0001

 Tetracycline

569

(31.1)

78

(29.2)

30

(22.7)

0.1172

Other supportive drug use

 Catecholamine

13

(0.7)

5

(1.9)

8

(6.1)

< 0.0001

Interventions

 Invasive ventilation

10

(0.5)

5

(1.9)

12

(9.1)

< 0.0001

 Non-invasive ventilation

2

(0.1)

 

(0.0)

2

(1.5)

0.0009

Organization characteristics

Intensive care unit admission

8

(0.4)

5

(1.9)

10

(7.6)

< 0.0001

Academic hospital

131

(7.2)

16

(6.0)

17

(12.9)

0.0345

Average number of patients in hospital per day

 ≤ 200

351

(19.2)

40

(15.0)

26

(19.7)

0.2502

 201–600

1194

(65.3)

190

(71.2)

81

(61.4)

 

 ≥ 601

284

(15.5)

37

(13.9)

25

(18.9)

 
  1. Data are shown as n (%) or mean ± SD (standard deviation)