Table 2 Clinical characteristics during the last admission and medications after discharge of participants in our study

RICU during index admission, n (%)

18 (6.9)

2 (1.4)

16 (13.8)

15.341

< 0.001

Clinical manifestations

 Mucopurulent phlegm, n (%)

224 (86.2)

122 (84.7)

102 (87.9)

0.555

0.456

 Dry cough, n (%)

13 (5.0)

6 (4.2)

7 (6.0)

0.472

0.492

 Hemoptysis, n (%)

97 (37.3)

54 (37.5)

43 (37.1)

0.005

0.943

 Dry rales, n (%)

42 (16.2)

23 (16.0)

19 (16.4)

0.008

0.929

 Wet rales, n (%)

130 (50.0)

71 (49.3)

59 (50.9)

0.062

0.803

Features of HRCT

 Emphysema, n (%)

31 (11.9)

13 (9.0)

18 (15.5)

2.576

0.108

 Number of lobes involved on chest HRCT, M (Q₁, Q₃)

2 (1–2)

1 (1–2)

2 (1–4)

-5.190

< 0.001

 Involvement of 3 or more lobes on chest HRCT, n (%)

58 (22.3)

9 (6.3)

49 (42.2)

48.019

< 0.001

 At least one cystic bronchiectasis, n (%)

114 (43.8)

52 (36.1)

62 (53.4)

7.843

0.005

 Types of bronchiectasis on chest HRCT

14.619

0.001

 Cylindrical, n (%)

146 (56.2)

95 (66.0)

51 (44.0)

 Cystic, n (%)

83 (31.9)

39 (27.1)

44 (37.9)

 Mixed, n (%)

31 (11.9)

10 (6.9)

21 (18.1)

Lung function indices

 FEV₁ (L), M (Q₁, Q₃)

1.59 (1.19-2.00)

1.82 (1.25–2.04)

1.38 (1.18–1.89)

-3.447

0.001

 FEV₁%predicted, M (Q₁, Q₃)

57.3 (45.1–71.3)

59.1 (43.9–68.4)

55.0 (45.2–73.8)

-0.637

0.524

 FVC (L), M (Q₁, Q₃)

1.94 (1.65–2.23)

1.95 (1.74–2.25)

1.90 (1.55–2.23)

-0.782

0.434

 FEV₁/FVC, M (Q₁, Q₃)

0.85 (0.76–0.96)

0.89 (0.80-1.00)

0.81 (0.65–0.91)

-4.123

< 0.001

Laboratory tests

 WBC (x 10⁹/L), M (Q₁, Q₃)

7.9 (5.9–10.3)

8.0 (5.9–10.4)

7.8 (5.9–10.2)

-0.677

0.498

 NEUT (x 10⁹/L), M (Q₁, Q₃)

3.6 (2.8–4.3)

3.7 (2.9–4.3)

3.6 (2.7–4.4)

-0.465

0.642

 CRP (mg/L), M (Q₁, Q₃)

17 (10–23)

17 (10–23)

16 (10–24)

-0.038

0.970

 PCT (ng/ml), M (Q₁, Q₃)

1.1 (0.6–1.5)

0.9 (0.4–1.6)

1.2 (0.7–1.5)

-1.934

0.053

Blood gas analysis

 PaO₂ (mmHg), M (Q₁, Q₃)

74 (60–82)

75 (65–83)

72 (56–82)

-1.311

0.190

 PaCO₂ (mmHg), M (Q₁, Q₃)

40 (35–45)

39 (35–44)

40 (36–50)

-1.499

0.134

 SaO₂ (%), M (Q₁, Q₃)

91 (87–95)

91.5 (87–95)

90 (85–95)

-2.134

0.033

 Hypoxemia, n (%)

64 (24.6)

30 (20.8)

34 (29.3)

2.488

0.115

 Hypercapnia, n (%)

58 (22.3)

28 (19.4)

30 (25.9)

1.527

0.217

 FiO₂, M (Q₁, Q₃)

0.29 (0.29–0.33)

0.29 (0.26–0.33)

0.33 (0.29–0.35)

-1.872

0.061

Positive sputum culture results within 24 h after admission, n (%)

122 (46.9)

42 (29.2)

80 (69.0)

40.860

< 0.001

 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, n (%)

38 (14.6)

6 (4.2)

32 (27.6)

28.237

< 0.001

 Haemophilus influenzae, n (%)

18 (6.9)

7 (4.9)

11 (9.5)

2.130

0.144

 Acinetobacter baumannii, n (%)

11 (4.2)

5 (3.5)

6 (5.2)

0.135

0.714

 Escherichia coli, n (%)

15 (5.8)

6 (4.2)

9 (7.8)

1.525

0.217

 Klebsiella pneumoniae, n (%)

25 (9.6)

12 (8.3)

13 (11.2)

0.610

0.435

 Staphylococcus aureus, n (%)

15 (5.8)

6 (4.2)

9 (7.8)

1.525

0.217

Medications after discharge

 Oral corticosteroids, n (%)

5 (1.9)

2 (1.4)

3 (2.6)

0.060

0.807

 SABA only, n (%)

158 (60.8)

85 (59.0)

73 (62.9)

0.411

0.522

 LAMA only, n (%)

92 (35.4)

50 (34.7)

42 (36.2)

0.062

0.803

 LABA plus LAMA, n (%)

16 (6.2)

9 (6.3)

7 (6.0)

0.005

0.943

 LABA plus ICS, n (%)

50 (19.2)

19 (13.2)

31 (26.7)

7.571

0.006

 LABA plus LAMA plus ICS, n (%)

7 (2.7)

3 (2.1)

4 (3.4)

0.084

0.771

 Long-term oral antibiotics, n (%)

71 (27.3)

54 (37.5)

17 (14.7)

16.891

< 0.001