Skip to main content

Table 1 Baseline characteristics and outcome

From: Epidemiology, prehospital care and outcomes of patients arriving by ambulance with dyspnoea: an observational study

Variable

Arrival by ambulance (N = 1007)

Missing data (N)

Did not arrive by ambulance (N = 906)

Missing data (N)

Significance

Demographics

 Age (years, median, IQR)

74, 61–84

0

60, 40–75

0

p < 0.001

 Age >60 years (N, %, 95 % CI)

764, 75.9 % (73.1–78.4 %)

0

447, 49.3 % (46.1–52.6 %)

0

p < 0.001

 Gender (male, N, %, 95 % CI)

464, 46.1 % (43–49.2 %)

0

412, 45.5 % (42.3–48.7 %)

0

0.82

Co-morbidities (N, %, 95 % CI)

 Hypertension

538, 53.6 % (50.5–56.7 %)

3 (0.3 %)

337, 37.6 % (34.5–40.8 %)

10 (1.1 %)

<0.001

 Dyslipidaemia

368, 36.8 % (33.8–39.8 %)

6 (0.6 %)

208, 23.9 % (20.6–26.2 %)

13 (1.4 %)

<0.001

 COPD

364, 36.4 % (33.5–39.5 %)

8 (0.8 %)

167, 18.7 % (16.3–21.4 %)

13 (1.4 %)

<0.001

 Ischaemic heart disease

308, 30.7 % (28–33.7 %)

5 (0.5 %)

147, 16.4 % (14.1–19 %)

11 (1.2 %)

<0.001

 Heart failure

262, 26.2 % (23.5–29 %)

5 (0.5 %)

126, 14.1 % (12–16.5 %)

12 (1.3 %)

<0.001

 Diabetes

257, 25.7 % (23–28.4 %)

5 (0.5 %)

169, 18.9 % (16.5–21.6 %)

13 (1.4 %)

<0.001

 Atrial fibrillation

222, 22.2 % (19.7–24.8 %)

5 (0.5 %)

134, 15 % (12.8–17.5 %)

14 (1.6 %)

<0.001

 Asthma

200, 20 % (17.6–22.6 %)

6 (0.6 %)

245, 27.5 % (24.7–30.5 %)

12 (1.3 %)

<0.001

 Chronic renal disease

166, 16.6 % (14.4–19.1 %)

8 (0.8 %)

94, 10.5 % (8.7–12.7 %)

12 (1.3 %)

<0.001

 Active smoker

151, 15.1 % (13–17.5 %)

8 (0.8 %)

147, 16.5 % (14.2–19.1 %)

14 (1.6 %)

0.45

 Active malignancy

91, 9.1 % (7.5–11.1 %)

8 (0.8 %)

72, 8.1 % (6.5–10 %)

14 (1.6 %)

0.47

 Previous pulmonary embolism

51, 5.1 % (3.9–6.7 %)

8 (0.8 %)

32, 3.6 % (2.6–5 %)

15 (1.7 %)

0.14

Regular/Usual medications (N, %, 95 % CI)

 Inhaled beta-agonists

403, 40.3 % (37.3–43.3 %)

6 (0.6 %)

319, 35.7 % (32.6–38.9 %)

12 (1.3 %)

0.05

 Statins

403, 40.2 % (37.2–43.3 %)

4 (0.4 %)

227, 25.4 % (22.6–28.3 %)

11 (1.2 %)

<0.001

 Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/ similar

371, 37 % (34.1–40 %)

4 (0.4 %)

255, 28.6 % (25.7–31.6 %)

13 (1.4 %)

<0.001

 Diuretic

347, 34.6 % (31.7–37.6 %)

4 (0.4 %)

173, 19.4 % (16.9–22.1 %)

14 (1.6 %)

<0.001

 Aspirin

304, 30.3 % (27.6–33.2 %)

4 (0.4 %)

154, 17.2 % (14.9–19.8 %)

11 (1.2 %)

<0.001

 Beta-blocker

279, 27.8 % (25.1–30.7 %)

4 (0.4 %)

170, 19 % (16.6–21.7 %)

12 (1.3 %)

<0.001

 Calcium channel blocker

186, 18.6 % (16.3–21.1 %)

6 (0.6 %)

113, 12.7 % (10.7–15 %)

14 (1.6 %)

<0.001

 Long acting anticoagulant

171, 17.1 % (14.9–19.6 %)

7 (0.7 %)

111, 12.4 % (10.4–14.8 %)

14 (1.6 %)

0.006

 Oral corticosteroid

129, 12.9 % (11–15.1 %)

7 (0.8 %)

65, 7.3 % (5.8–9.2 %)

15 (1.7 %)

<0.001

 Nitrate

111, 11.1 % (9.3–13.2 %)

8 (0.8 %)

44, 4.9 % (3.7–6.6 %)

16 (1.8 %)

<0.001

 Clopidogrel

110, 11.0 % (9.2–13.1 %)

6 (0.6 %)

58, 6.5 % (5.1–8.3 %)

14 (1.6 %)

<0.001

 Insulin

81, 8.1 % (6.6–9.9 %)

6 (0.6 %)

56, 6.3 % (4.9–8.1 %)

14 (1.6 %)

0.15

 Cardiac glycoside

78, 7.8 % (6.3–9.6 %)

7 (0.7 %)

39, 4.4 % (3.2–5.9 %)

15 (1.5 %)

0.003

 Home oxygen

67, 6.7 % (5.3–8.4 %)

6 (0.6 %)

24, 2.7 % (1.8–4 %)

15 (1.7 %)

<0.001

Clinical featuresb

 Duration of symptoms (days, median, IQR)

2, 1–5

36 (3.6 %)

3, 1–7

42 (4.6 %)

<0.001

 Respiratory rate (mean, SD)

25 (8)

18 (1.8 %)

22 (6)

35 (3.9 %)

<0.001

 O2 Saturation on air (mean, SD)

92.5 (7)

250a (24.8 %)

94.9 (6)

53 (5.9 %)

<0.001

 O2 saturation <90 % (N, %)

196, 19.9 % (17.5–22.5 %)

20 (2 %)

76, 8.6 % (6.9–10.6 %)

18 (2 %)

<0.001

 Systolic BP <100 mmHg (N, %)

56, 5.9 % (4.6–7.5 %)

17 (1.7 %)

40, 4.7 % (3.5–6.3 %)

51 (5.6 %)

0.40

 Systolic BP >180 mmHg (N, %)

71, 7.2 % (5.7–9 %)

17 (1.7 %)

36, 4.2 % (3.1–5.8 %)

51 (5.6 %)

0.009

 Heart rate >100 (N, %)

390, 39.6 % (36.6–42.7 %)

22 (2.2 %)

264, 30 % (27.1–33.1 %)

27 (3 %)

<0.001

 GCS (mean, SD)

15 (1)

77 (7.7 %)

15 (0.5)

115 (12.7 %)

<0.001

 Admitted to ward (ward, ICU or transfer for admission)

769, 76.5 % (73.8–79 %)

2 (0.2 %)

468, 46.6 % (43.5–49.7 %)

1 (0.1 %)

<0.001

 Admitted to ICU

56, 5.6 % (4.3–7.2 %)

2 (0.2 %)

17, 1.9 % (1.2–3 %)

6 (0.6 %)

<0.001

 Died in ED

9, 0.9 % (0.5–1.7 %)

2 (0.2 %)

2, 0.2 % (0.06–0.7 %)

0

0.10

 In-hospital mortality for admitted patients

50, 6.5 % (5–8.5 %)

0

9, 1.9 % (1–3.6 %)

0

<0.001

 Length of stay for admitted patients

5, 3–8

0

5, 3–8

0

0.66

  1. aMost remaining patients were on oxygen at ED arrival
  2. btaken at ED arrival