Information from parents about symptoms prompting them to seek medical care for their child and from GP record about the clinical features present when the child was last seen in primary care. (Children with no opportunity to receive an antibiotic in primary care are excluded from this table)
| Prescribed an antibiotic* (n=131) | Not prescribed an antibiotic (n=89) | Rate ratio | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n/N (%) | n/N (%) | RR (95% CI) | p Value | |
| Symptoms reported by parents | ||||
| Fast breathing | 43/131 (33) | 29/89 (33) | 1.02 (0.71 to 1.38) | 0.97 |
| Difficulty breathing | 23/131 (18) | 12/89 (13) | 1.03 (0.59 to 1.72) | 0.42 |
| Cough | 96/131 (73) | 60/89 (67) | 1.05 (0.87 to 1.20) | 0.35 |
| Fever | 85/131 (65) | 54/89 (61) | 0.95 (0.74 to 1.13) | 0.53 |
| Irritable, grumpy or grizzly | 66/131 (50) | 44/89 (49) | 1.03 (0.79 to 1.27) | 0.89 |
| Lethargy | 55/131 (42) | 32/89 (36) | 1.10 (0.80 to 1.43) | 0.37 |
| Vital signs recorded in GP record | ||||
| Fever >39°C | 26/89 (29) | 20/58 (34) | 0.85 (0.53 to 1.24) | 0.50 |
| Tachypnoea† | 34/53 (64) | 27/35 (77) | 0.83 (0.72 to 1.11) | 0.20 |
| Severity of pneumonia based upon GP observations‡ | ||||
| Severe pneumonia | 47/67 (70) | 40/47 (85) | 0.92 (0.75 to 1.04) | 0.07 |
| Mild pneumonia | 14/46 (30) | 1/30 (3) | 2.55 (1.03 to 6.21) | 0.004 |
| Diagnosis recorded in GP record | ||||
| Pneumonia | 45/102 (44) | 25/70 (36) | 1.25 (0.75 to 1.44) | 0.27 |
| LRTI (but not pneumonia) | 33/102 (32) | 19/70 (27) | 1.19 (0.79 to 1.73) | 0.47 |
| Other diagnosis | 24/102 (24) | 26/70 (37) | 0.63 (0.47 to 1.11) | 0.05 |
↵* Includes the 23 children prescribed an antibiotic but whose parents did not obtain the prescription.
↵† Respiratory rate >60/min age<2 months, >50/min age 2–11 months, >40/min age>12 months.33
↵‡ Based upon respiratory rate, temperature and child's age.3
GP, general practitioner; LRTI, lower respiratory tract infection; RR, rate ratio.