Table 2 Clinical features and laboratory values of children with MPP between the PB group and the non-PB group

Clinical data

Time from illness onset to admission (days)

8.00 (6.00, 10.00)

7.00 (6.00, 9.00)

8.00 (6.00, 10.00)

1.7263

0.1889

Duration of hospitalization (days)

7.00 (6.00, 9.00)

9.00 (8.00, 10.00)

7.00 (6.00, 8.00)

101.5953

< 0.0001^*

Duration of fever (days)

7.00 (5.00, 9.00)

7.00 (5.00, 8.00)

7.00 (5.00, 9.00)

0.0144

0.9046

Duration of cough (days)

7.00 (5.00, 9.00)

7.00 (5.00, 9.00)

7.00 (5.00, 9.00)

1.0771

0.2993

Fatigue

12 (1.03)

1 (0.75)

11 (1.06)

-

1

Dyspnea

17 (1.45)

2 (1.50)

15 (1.45)

1

Wheezing

46 (3.93)

4 (3.01)

42 (4.05)

-

0.8120

Lack of appetite

714 (61.08)

98 (73.68)

616 (59.46)

-

0.0013^*

Abdominal pain

201 (17.19)

26 (19.55)

175 (16.89)

-

0.4653

Diarrhea

75 (6.42)

10 (7.52)

65 (6.27)

-

0.5720

Chest pain

33 (2.82)

3 (2.26)

30 (2.90)

-

1

Physical sign

Decreased breath sounds

700 (59.88)

93 (69.92)

607 (58.59)

-

0.0088^*

Rales

773 (66.12)

81 (60.90)

692 (66.80)

-

0.1461

Rhonchi

334 (28.57)

35 (26.32)

299 (28.86)

-

0.5430

Tachypnea

39 (3.34)

6 (4.51)

33 (3.19)

-

0.4387

Hypoxia

40 (3.42)

6 (4.51)

34 (3.28)

-

0.4472

Three depressions sign

20 (1.71)

4 (3.01)

16 (1.54)

-

0.2733

Laboratory findings

WBC (×10⁹/L)

8.12 (6.45, 10.22)

7.74 (6.29, 10.22)

8.15 (6.49, 10.24)

1.0187

0.3128

 N (×10⁹/L)

4.65 (3.43, 6.31)

5.12 (4.01, 7.00)

4.59 (3.36, 6.21)

8.9667

0.0027^*

L (×10⁹/L)

2.37 (1.67, 3.27)

1.70 (1.21, 2.40)

2.47 (1.79, 3.37)

58.0923

< 0.0001^*

PLT (×10⁹/L)

312.00 (252.00, 387.00)

288.50 (232.00, 336.00)

316.00 (256.00, 393.00)

16.3478

< 0.0001^*

CRP (mg/dL)

12.10 (4.60, 25.26)

26.74 (13.29, 52.31)

10.93 (3.97,22.73)

75.6621

< 0.0001^*

PCT (µg/L)

0.12 (0.07, 0.25)

0.25 (0.13, 0.44)

0.11 (0.07, 0.22)

46.2664

< 0.0001^*

ESR (mm/h)

25.00 (16.00, 40.00)

27.00 (20.00, 41.00)

24.00 (15.00, 39.00)

2.8851

0.0894

D-dimer (mg/L)

0.64 (0.35, 1.31)

1.68 (1.04, 2.68)

0.58 (0.33, 1.09)

136.2348

< 0.0001^*

LDH (U/L)

324.00 (271.00, 409.00)

453.00 (349.00, 567.00)

315.00 (267.00, 388.00)

100.1390

< 0.0001^*

ALT (U/L)

13.00 (10.00, 20.60)

21.45 (14.80, 37.40)

12.60 (9.80, 19.00)

62.1271

< 0.0001^*

AST (U/L)

25.00 (20.00, 32.00)

33.00 (26.00, 50.00)

24.00 (20.00, 30.00)

69.6598

< 0.0001^*

CT scan

Consolidation

921 (78.79)

102 (76.69)

819 (79.05)

-

0.5741

Single lobar infiltrate

463 (39.61)

66 (49.62)

397 (38.32)

-

0.0187^*

Multilobar infiltrates (unilateral)

330 (28.23)

26 (19.55)

304 (29.34)

-

0.0252^*

Multilobar infiltrates (bilateral)

355 (30.37)

39 (29.32)

316 (30.50)

-

0.7657

Pleural effusion

210 (17.96)

51 (38.35)

159 (15.35)

-

< 0.0001^*

Pericardial effusion

29 (2.48)

7 (5.26)

22 (2.12)

-

0.0391^*

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy

Mucosal hyperemia and/or edema

711 (60.82)

32 (24.06)

679 (65.54)

-

< 0.0001^*

Mucosal erosion and/or necrosis

458 (39.18)

101 (75.94)

357 (34.46)

-

< 0.0001^*

Bronchial embolization

212 (18.14)

82 (61.65)

130 (12.55)

-

< 0.0001^*

Bronchial obstruction

14 (1.20)

2 (1.50)

12 (1.16)

-

0.6688

Bronchiectasis

5 (0.43)

0 (0.00)

5 (0.48)

-

1