Table 4 Systemic corticosteroid prescribing by patient characteristics for exacerbations of asthma (39 patients) and COPD (40 patients)

All

12/39 (30.8)

17/40 (42.5)

29/79 (36.7)

Age

≥65 years

1/13 (7.7)

0.03

10/23 (43.5)

0.5

11/36 (30.6)

0.2

<65 years

11/26 (42.3)

7/17 (41.2)

18/43 (41.9)

Gender

Male

3/13 (23.1)

0.4

8/13 (61.5)

0.09

11/26 (42.3)

0.3

Female

9/26 (34.6)

9/27 (33.3)

18/53 (34.0)

Smoking status

Never smoker

3/16 (18.8)

0.5*

0/7 (0)

0.2*

3/23 (13.0)

0.1*

Current smoker

5/9 (55.6)

10/17 (58.8)

15/26 (57.7)

Ex-smoker

4/14 (28.6)

7/16 (43.8)

11/30 (36.7)

Spirometry

FEV₁/FVC < 0.7

3/5 (60.0)

0.1

15/25 (60.0)

0.004

18/30 (60.0)

0.001

Respiratory symptoms

Dyspnea, bothersome or very bothersome

11/35 (31.4)

0.6

17/38 (44.7)

0.3

28/73 (38.4)

0.3

very bothersome

4/9 (44.4)

0.3

9/12 (75.0)

0.01

13/21 (61.9)

0.006

Phlegm, bothersome or very bothersome

10/28 (35.7)

0.2

14/31 (45.2)

0.4

24/59 (40.7)

0.2

very bothersome

2/7 (28.6)

0.6

5/7 (71.4)

0.1

7/14 (50.0)

0.2

Purulence

7/17 (41.2)

0.2

7/18 (38.9)

0.2

14/35 (40.0)

0.4

Coughing, bothersome or very bothersome

12/35 (34.3)

0.2

17/36 (47.2)

0.09

29/71 (40.8)

0.02

Very bothersome

5/14 (35.7)

0.4

9/13 (69.2)

0.02

14/27 (51.9)

0.04

Anthonisen criteria combined

Type III

2/11 (18.2)

0.08*

3/8 (37.5)

0.8*

5/19 (26.3)

0.1*

Type II

3/14 (21.4)

7/16 (43.8)

10/30 (33.3)

Type I

7/14 (50.0)

7/16 (43.8)

14/30 (46.7)

Chest findings

Prolonged expiration

7/13 (53.8)

0.03

12/23 (52.2)

0.1

19/36 (52.8)

0.006

Wheezes/rhonchi

7/14 (50.0)

0.06

13/26 (50.0)

0.2

20/40 (50.0)

0.01

Diminished breath sounds

4/4 (100)

0.006

7/12 (58.3)

0.2

11/16 (68.8)

0.004

Crackles

4/8 (50.0)

0.2

12/17 (70.6)

0.003

16/25 (64.0)

0.001

Any abnormal chest finding

9/21 (42.9)

0.08

15/33 (45.5)

0.3

24/54 (44.4)

0.03

Lung function^a

FEV₁% predicted < 50

0/1 (0)

0.8*

5/10 (50.0)

0.08*

5/11 (45.5)

0.1*

FEV₁% predicted 50-80

4/9 (44.4)

10/22 (45.5)

14/31 (45.2)

FEV₁% predicted ≥ 80

7/23 (30.4)

0/6 (0)

7/29 (24.1)

C-reactive protein^b

<8 mg/L

7/21 (33.3)

0.4*

7/21 (33.3)

0.02*

14/42 (33.3)

0.01*

8-39 mg/L

4/11 (36.4)

3/10 (30.0)

7/21 (33.3)

≥40 mg/L

1/1 (100)

6/6 (100)

7/7 (100)

Oxygen saturation (SpO₂)^c

>95%

8/24 (33.3)

0.3*

6/23 (26.1)

0.004*

14/47 (29.8)

0.003*

93-95%

1/3 (33.3)

2/6 (33.3)

3/9 (33.3)

<93%

1/1 (100)

7/8 (87.5)

8/9 (88.9)