Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the intention to treat population
| Intervention group (n = 106) | Control group (n = 105) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years; median (IQR) | 68 (51–79) | 69 (62–79) |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 62 (58%) | 46 (44%) |
| Female | 44 (42%) | 59 (56%) |
| Smoking status | ||
| Never smoked | 30 (28%) | 25 (24%) |
| Current smoker | 27 (25%) | 12 (11%) |
| Previous smoker | 24 (23%) | 37 (35%) |
| Unknown status | 25 (24%) | 31 (30%) |
| Medical history | ||
| Apoplexy | 9 (8%) | 7 (7%) |
| Coronary artery disease | 17 (16%) | 16 (15%) |
| Heart failure | 13 (12%) | 14 (13%) |
| Arterial hypertension | 24 (23%) | 22 (21%) |
| Thromboembolic disease | 11 (10%) | 5 (5%) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 33 (31%) | 32 (30%) |
| Asthma | 6 (6%) | 6 (6%) |
| Other pulmonary or pleural lung disease | 11 (10%) | 9 (9%) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 8 (8%) | 17 (16%) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 8 (8%) | 8 (8%) |
| Other medical disease | 28 (26%) | 36 (34%) |
| Psychiatric disorder | 7 (7%) | 4 (4%) |
| Medication at admission | ||
| Β-blockers | 28 (26%) | 23 (22%) |
| Diuretics | 38 (36%) | 49 (47%) |
| Nitrates | 9 (8%) | 14 (13%) |
| Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin-receptor blocker | 26 (25%) | 38 (36%) |
| Digoxin | 4 (4%) | 5 (5%) |
| Calcium-channel blockers | 16 (15%) | 21 (20%) |
| Aspirin | 16 (15%) | 18 (17%) |
| Inhaled bronchodilators | 39 (37%) | 45 (43%) |
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 21 (20%) | 31 (30%) |
| Oral corticosteroids | 10 (9%) | 17 (16%) |
| Antibiotics | 18 (17%) | 17 (16%) |
| Anticoagulants | 29 (27%) | 36 (34%) |
| Immunosuppressive medication | 5 (5%) | 2 (2%) |
| Other medication | 19 (18%) | 24 (23%) |
| Vital signs at admission mean, (min-max) | ||
| Respiratory rate (breaths per min) | 21 (12–44) | 22 (12–40) |
| Saturation (%) | 94 (55–100) | 95 (74–100) |
| - of these patients n received oxygen supply (l/min) | 23 (22%) | 29 (28%) |
| o 1–3 l/min n (%) | 15 (65%) | 24 (83%) |
| o 4–6 l/min n (%) | 8 (35%) | 4 (14%) |
| o > 6 l/min n (%) | 0 | 1 (3%) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 137 (80–224) | 137 (94–212) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 78 (32–123) | 78 (47–111) |
| Heart rate (beats per minute) | 90 (52–150) | 86 (40–144) |
| Temperature (°C) | 37.1 (35.2–39.5) | 37.2 (35.0–39.8) |
| Blood glucose | 6.8 (4.1–19.9) | 6.6 (1.0–22.4) |
| Glasgow coma scale scorea | 15 (9–15) | 15 (14–15) |
| Patients´ signs and symptoms upon admission | ||
| Cough | 33 (31%) | 43 (41%) |
| Dyspnoea | 90 (85%) | 85 (81%) |
| Chest pain | 28 (26%) | 28 (27%) |
| Respiration rate > 20 breaths per min | 33 (30%) | 30 (29%) |
| Peripheral saturation < 95% | 30 (28%) | 24 (23%) |
| None of the above | 0 | 0 |
| Ultrasound examination already performed in ambulance | 0 | 0 |
| Patients severity score upon admissionb | ||
| - I (Red) | 5 (5%) | 1 (1%) |
| - II (Orange) | 29 (27%) | 36 (34%) |
| - | 49 (46%) | 42 (40%) |
|
- III (Yellow) - IV (Green) | 23 (22%) | 27 (26%) |