Volume 14, Number 7—July 2008
Research
Testing for Coccidioidomycosis among Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Douglas C. Chang*
, Shoana Anderson†, Kathleen Wannemuehler*, David M. Engelthaler†, Laura Erhart†, Rebecca H. Sunenshine†, Lauren A. Burwell*, and Benjamin J. Park*
, Shoana Anderson†, Kathleen Wannemuehler*, David M. Engelthaler†, Laura Erhart†, Rebecca H. Sunenshine†, Lauren A. Burwell*, and Benjamin J. Park*
Table 2
Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with community-acquired pneumonia included in retrospective cohort studies, Maricopa County, Arizona, January 2003–December 2004*
| Patient characteristic | System A (% or range), n = 66 | System B (% or range), n = 87 | Absolute difference in percentages (95% CI)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluated initially in emergency department | 17 (26) | 5 (6) | 20 (7–33)† |
| Median age, y (range) | 54 (6–90) | 37 (0–86) | |
| Age <18 y | 7 (11) | 32 (37) | 26 (12–39)† |
| Male | 30 (46) | 47 (54) | NS |
| Median no. days of symptoms before 1st visit | 8 (1–30) | 7 (1–60) | NS |
| Symptoms for >21 d at time of 1st visit |
4 (9) |
6 (7) |
NS |
| Symptoms | |||
| Fever | 22 (33) | 50 (58) | NS |
| Chills | 5 (8) | 12 (14) | NS |
| Night sweats | 0 | 4 (5) | NS |
| Myalgias | 2 (3) | 3 (3) | NS |
| Fatigue | 4 (6) | 4 (5) | NS |
| Cough | 54 (82) | 69 (79) | NS |
| Dyspnea | 18 (27) | 23 (26) | NS |
| Chest pain | 10 (15) | 11 (13) | NS |
| Wheezing |
8 (12) |
9 (10) |
NS |
| Signs | |||
| Temperature >100.4°F | 10 (15) | 24 (28) | NS |
| Tachycardia | 8 (12) | 11 (13) | NS |
| Focal lung examination | 37 (56) | 44 (51) | NS |
| Hypoxia | 0 | 0 | NS |
| Rash |
0 |
0 |
NS |
| Immunosuppressive medication |
2 (3) |
1 (1) |
NS |
| Coexisting conditions | |||
| Asthma | 10 (15) | 23 (26) | NS |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 13 (20) | 12 (14) | NS |
| Diabetes mellitus | 25 (38) | 7 (8) | 30 (16–43)† |
| HIV infection | 0 | 1 (1) | NS |
| Pregnancy | 1 (2) | 0 | NS |
| Transplant | 1 (2) | 0 | NS |
| Malignancy |
1 (2) |
3 (3) |
NS |
| Diagnostic testing, noncoccidioidal | |||
| Chest radiograph | 23 (35) | 83 (95) | 61 (47–72)† |
| Radiographically proven pneumonia |
18 (27) |
67 (83) |
50 (35–63)† |
| Treatment and outcome | |||
| Antibacterial drugs | 66 (100) | 87 (100) | NS |
| Follow-up visits | |||
| None | 17 (26) | 27 (31) | NS |
| 1 | 34 (52) | 27 (31) | NS |
| 2 | 5 (8) | 13 (15) | NS |
| >3 | 10 (15) | 20 (23) | NS |
| Hospital admissions | 2 (3) | 6 (7) | NS |
| Died |
0 (0) |
2 (2) |
NS |
| Coccidioides spp. serologic testing | |||
| At any visit | 1 (2) | 11 (13) | 11 (3–20)‡ |
| During follow-up visit | 0 | 4 (5) | NS |
| Reactive results | 0 | 1 (1) | NS |
| Median no. days before testing | 12 | 27 (1–99) | – |
| Symptoms >14 days before testing | 0 | 7 (64) | NS |
| Diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis, any technique | 0 | 1 (1) | NS |
CI, confidence interval; NS, not significant. CIs on difference in percentages were performed by using an exact method with 2 independent binomial proportions.
†p<0.01.
‡p<0.05.
Page created: July 12, 2010
Page updated: July 12, 2010
Page reviewed: July 12, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.