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Table 6 Factors associated with asthma medication within 3 days of ALRTIa episode in patients without asthmab

From: Use of antibiotics and asthma medication for acute lower respiratory tract infections in people with and without asthma: retrospective cohort study

 

No asthma medication

Asthma medication

Univariate analysis

Full model

OR (95% CI)

p-value

OR (95% CI)

p-value

  

47,984 (85.2)

8314 (14.8)

    

Demographic factors

 Gender

Male

19,910 (41.5)

3018 (36.3)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

Female

28,074 (58.5)

5296 (63.7)

1.25 (1.19, 1.31)

< 0.001

1.10 (1.03, 1.18)

0.01

 Age at ALRTI (years)

Q1 (< 39)

11,264 (23.5)

2377 (28.6)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

Q2 (39-)

11,815 (24.6)

2319 (27.9)

0.92 (0.87, 0.99)

 

1.02 (0.93, 1.12)

 

Q3 (52-)

12,583 (26.2)

2067 (24.9)

0.78 (0.73, 0.83)

 

0.81 (0.73, 0.89)

 

Q4 (64+)

12,322 (25.7)

1551 (18.7)

0.60 (0.56, 0.65)

< 0.001

0.59 (0.53, 0.66)

< 0.001

 IMD quintile

1 (Least)

10,272 (21.4)

1667 (20.1)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

2

9856 (20.5)

1583 (19.0)

0.98 (0.91, 1.07)

 

0.92 (0.82, 1.03)

 

3

9371 (19.5)

1710 (20.6)

1.08 (0.99, 1.17)

 

1.03 (0.91, 1.15)

 

4

9027 (18.8)

1635 (19.7)

1.12 (1.03, 1.23)

 

0.94 (0.84, 1.07)

 

5 (Most)

9458 (19.7)

1719 (20.7)

1.20 (1.09, 1.32)

< 0.001

0.97 (0.86, 1.11)

0.31

 Smoking status

Never

19,115 (39.8)

2900 (34.9)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

Current

22,726 (47.4)

4460 (53.7)

1.30 (1.23, 1.36)

 

1.10 (1.02, 1.19)

 

Previous

6141 (12.8)

953 (11.5)

1.02 (0.94, 1.10)

< 0.001

1.00 (0.89, 1.12)

0.02

Clinical factors

 Season of infection

Summer

17,348 (36.2)

3037 (36.5)

1 (ref)

   

Winter

30,636 (63.9)

5277 (63.5)

0.98 (0.93, 1.03)

0.47

  

 Prescribed an oral antibiotic c

No

10,548 (22.0)

1044 (12.6)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

Yes

37,436 (78.0)

7270 (87.4)

2.11 (1.97, 2.27)

 

3.59 (3.22, 4.01)

 

 Number of ALRTI in prior 12 months, per ALRTI

   

0.85 (0.81, 0.90)

< 0.001

0.89 (0.83, 0.97)

0.01

 Multimorbidity score d

0

20,119 (41.9)

3022 (36.4)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

1

10,960 (22.8)

2150 (25.9)

1.30 (1.22, 1.38)

 

1.15 (1.05, 1.26)

 

2

7328 (15.3)

1361 (16.4)

1.25 (1.16, 1.34)

 

1.07 (0.96, 1.19)

 

3+

9577 (20.0)

1781 (21.4)

1.24 (1.16, 1.32)

< 0.001

1.08 (0.98, 1.19)

0.02

 Number of asthma medications prescribed in previous 12 months

0

13,486 (86.6)

3813 (80.2)

1 (ref)

 

1 (ref)

 

1–6

1867 (12)

808 (17.0)

1.50 (1.37, 1.65)

 

1.57 (1.43, 1.73)

 

7+

221 (1.4)

131 (2.8)

2.18 (1.74, 2.74)

< 0.001

2.31 (1.83, 2.91)

< 0.001

  1. OR odds ratio; CI confidence interval; ref reference; Q quartile
  2. Models restricted to participants with complete information on all variables included in the full model. Multi-level logistic regression models were used, with general practice included as a random effect to account for clustering. Coefficients represent the odds of receiving asthma medication for a unit increase in the exposure of interest. Asthma medication refers to any asthma medication, including long- and short-acting β2 agonists, leukotriene receptor antagonists, antimuscarinic bronchodilators, and inhaled and oral corticosteroids
  3. a Acute lower respiratory tract infection
  4. b Defined as ever diagnosed and asthma medication prescribed in the 12 months prior to ALRTI
  5. c Antibiotics prescribed within 3 days of ALRTI, and includes amoxicillin, doxycycline, clarithromycin, co-amoxiclav, azithromycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, cefalexin, and cefradine
  6. d A list of 37 physical and mental chronic conditions were used to ascertain multimorbidity status in participants at ALRTI diagnosis