Development of a clinical prediction score for recurrent wheezing following acute lower respiratory tract infection in children

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population by recurrent wheezing status, n (%)

Characteristics/risk factor	Recurrent wheezing (n = 52)	No recurrent wheezing (n = 228)	P value
Age (months), mean ± SD	31.2 ± 2.3	30.7 ± 1.1	0.843
Male	30 (57.7)	124 (54.4)	0.758
Preterm	4 (7.7)	27 (11.8)	0.472
Low birth weight	5 (9.6)	33 (14.5)	0.501
Delivery by C/S	24 (46.2)	126 (55.3)	0.281
Urban	37 (71.2)	171 (75.0)	0.599
Underlying disease	22 (42.3)	64 (28.1)	0.066
Thalassemia disease	6 (14.5)	8 (3.5)	0.028
G6PD deficiency	2 (3.9)	3 (1.3)	0.233
Allergic rhinitis	12 (23.1)	21 (9.2)	0.009
Atopic dermatitis	8 (15.4)	31 (13.6)	0.824
Food or drug allergy	6 (11.5)	13 (5.7)	0.136
Exposure smoking during pregnancy	7 (13.5)	19 (8.3)	0.288
Exposure smoking	13 (25.0)	41 (18.0)	0.248
First degree related asthma	5 (9.6)	5 (2.2)	0.022
Day care attending	36 (69.2)	134 (57.8)	0.208
Multiple URTI	32 (61.5)	121 (53.1)	0.284
Multiple LRTI	31 (59.6)	48 (21.1)	< 0.001
Eosinophilia (AEC ≥ 500 cell/mm2)	9 (25.7)	4 (3.9)	0.001
Pets	10 (19.2)	39 (17.1)	0.238
RSV infection	19 (36.5)	98 (43.0)	0.438

URTI: Upper respiratory tract infection; LRTI: Lower respiratory tract infection; AEC: Absolute eosinophil count; RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus.