Table 1 Clinical Signs and Symptoms of patients diagnosed with URTI and recommendations on need for antibiotics. The actual counts (percentage) and median (IQR) are reflected for categorical and continuous variables respectively
Variables | Review of antibiotics recommended (RABX) (n = 254) | Antibiotics not recommended (NABX) (n = 461) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
Demographics | |||
Age (years) | 37 (29–54) | 36 (28–50) | 0.170 |
Gender | Â | Â | 0.009 |
 Male | 172 (67.7) | 266 (57.7) |  |
Residency | Â | Â | 0.815 |
 Residents | 185 (72.8) | 332 (72.0) |  |
Race | Â | Â | 0.110 |
 Chinese | 111 (43.7) | 197 (42.7) |  |
 Malay | 40 (15.7) | 98 (21.3) | |
 Indian | 56 (22.0) | 74 (16.0) | |
 Others | 47 (18.6) | 92 (20.0) | |
Visit Month | Â | Â | 0.211 |
 January | 11 (4.3) | 35 (7.6) |  |
 February | 15 (5.9) | 24 (5.2) | |
 March | 19 (7.5) | 31 (6.7) | |
 April | 24 (9.4) | 27 (5.9) | |
 May | 20 (7.9) | 38 (8.2) | |
 June | 14 (5.5) | 42 (9.1) | |
 July | 29 (11.4) | 69 (15.0) | |
 August | 24 (9.4) | 40 (8.7) | |
 September | 34 (13.4) | 45 (9.8) | |
 October | 31 (12.2) | 51 (11.1) | |
 November | 14 (5.5) | 34 (7.4) | |
 December | 19 (7.5) | 25 (5.4) | |
Epidemiologic Data | |||
 Smoker | 53 (20.9) | 114 (24.7) | 0.123 |
 Influenza Vaccination in the past 1 year | 94 (37.0) | 169 (36.7) | 0.675 |
 Travelled Overseas | 74 (29.1) | 116 (25.2) | 0.250 |
 Prior Consultation in 14 days | 146 (57.5) | 228 (49.5) | 0.040 |
 Prescribed antibiotics during prior consultation | 64 (25.2) | 125 (27.1) | 0.578 |
Comorbidities | |||
 Asthma | 36 (14.2) | 91 (19.7) | 0.062 |
 COPD | 40 (15.7) | 77 (16.7) | 0.741 |
 Taking steroids | 12 (4.7) | 44 (9.5) | 0.032 |
 Diabetes mellitus | 25 (9.8) | 39 (8.5) | 0.535 |
 Liver disease | 3 (1.2) | 9 (2.0) | 0.554 |
 Cancer | 11 (4.3) | 8 (1.7) | 0.039 |
 Myocardial Infarction | 8 (3.1) | 12 (2.6) | 0.671 |
 Chronic Heart Failure | 2 (0.8) | 2 (0.4) | 0.618 |
 Renal disease | 4 (1.6) | 5 (1.1) | 0.728 |
 Charlson’s Comorbidity Index >0 | 82 (32.3) | 158 (34.3) | 0.590 |
Symptoms | |||
 Onset of symptoms (days) | 4 (3–7) | 4 (3–7) | 0.438 |
 Fever | 188 (74.0) | 234 (50.8) | < 0.001 |
 Headache | 27 (10.6) | 38 (8.2) | 0.288 |
 Joint pain | 8 (3.1) | 9 (2.0) | 0.315 |
 Abdomen pain | 14 (5.5) | 16 (3.5) | 0.193 |
 Loss of appetite | 23 (9.1) | 35 (7.6) | 0.493 |
 Body ache | 48 (18.9) | 52 (11.3) | 0.005 |
 Diarrhea | 10 (3.9) | 18 (3.9) | 0.983 |
 Runny nose | 116 (45.7) | 244 (52.9) | 0.063 |
 Nausea | 12 (4.7) | 26 (5.6) | 0.602 |
 Red eye | 3 (1.2) | 4 (0.9) | 0.704 |
 Rash | 7 (2.8) | 11 (2.4) | 0.763 |
 Shortness of breath | 38 (15.0) | 107 (23.2) | 0.009 |
 Sore throat | 130 (51.2) | 196 (42.5) | 0.026 |
 Vomiting | 21 (8.3) | 19 (4.1) | 0.021 |
 Giddiness | 8 (3.1) | 33 (7.2) | 0.027 |
 Tiredness | 13 (5.1) | 17 (3.7) | 0.361 |
Signs | |||
 Conjunctival congestion | 3 (1.2) | 6 (1.3) | 1.000 |
 Dehydration | 15 (5.9) | 16 (3.5) | 0.126 |
 Injected pharynx | 80 (31.5) | 111 (24.1) | 0.032 |
 Sinus congestion | 3 (1.2) | 2 (0.4) | 0.353 |
 Enlarged tonsil | 6 (2.4) | 9 (2.0) | 0.714 |
 Abnormal findings on abdominal examination | 8 (3.1) | 7 (1.5) | 0.145 |
 Abnormal findings on lungs examination | 19 (7.5) | 50 (10.8) | 0.145 |
Vital Signs | |||
 Highest body temp (°C) | 37.4 (36.9–38.4) | 37.0 (36.6–37.3) | < 0.001 |
 Highest pulse rate (beats per minute) | 96 (84–101) | 89 (80–98) | < 0.001 |
 Highest respiratory rate (breaths per minute) | 18 (17–18) | 18 (17–18) | 0.322 |
 Lowest Sa02 level (%) | 98 (96–99) | 98 (97–99) | 0.001 |
 Lowest systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 117 (105–131) | 122 (111–133) | < 0.001 |
 Lowest diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 65 (58–75) | 68 (62–77) | 0.010 |