From: Pneumocystis pneumonia in South African children diagnosed by molecular methods
Variable | PCP positive | PCP negative | p |
---|---|---|---|
 | n = 109 | n =93 |  |
Presenting symptoms n (%) | |||
Cough | 94 (86.2) | 78 (83.9) | 0.6 |
Fever | 30 (27.5) | 47 (50.5) | 0.0008 |
Poor feeding | 28 (25.7) | 21 (22.6) | 0.6 |
Patient characteristics | |||
Gender M:F | 47:62 | 45:48 | 0.5 |
Age (Months) | 3.4 (2.7 – 4.0) | 2.2 (1.3 – 6.8) | 0.03 |
HIV infected n (%) | 87 (79.8) | 37 (39.8) | <0.0001 |
HIV exposed, uninfected | 5 (4.6) | 29 (31.2) | <0.0001 |
Weight for age Z score | −2.9 (−4.6 - -1.6) | −2.4 (−3.9 - -1.36) | 0.08 |
Height for age Z score | −2.4 (−4.5 - -0.9) | −2.3 (−3.2 - -0.9) | 0.24 |
Duration of symptoms (days ) | 3.0 (2.0 – 7.0) | 3.0 (1.0 – 7.0) | 0.66 |
Admission signs | |||
Respiratory rate on admission (breaths per minute) | 70.0 (60.0 – 80.0) | 60.0 (50 – 70) | 0.0002 |
Subcostal recessions n (%) | 107 (98.2) | 83 (89.2) | 0.8 |
SpO2 (%) in room air (n = 146) | 77.0 (65.5 – 84.0) | 87.5 (75.0 – 92.0) | <0.0001 |
Laboratory investigations | |||
CD4% in HIV infected children | 17.1 (9.9 – 29.7) | 21.0 (14.7 – 29.7) | 0.12 |
n = 80 | n = 35 | ||
Lactate dehydrogenase (u/l) | 710.5 (534.5 – 1067.0) | 350.0 (238.0 – 610.0) | <0.0001 |
 | n = 57 | n = 35 |  |