Streptococcal Pharyngitis: A Prospective Study of Compliance and Complications

Table 3

Stepwise linear regression model of the modification of the days of treatment with antibiotics against possible explanatory variables.

Independent variables (2)	Recurrent positive GABHS throat culture within 7 days			Recurrent positive GABHS culture within 8 to 30 days			Recurrent clinically diagnosed tonsillopharyngitis
	𝑏	Significance	𝑅^2	𝑏	Significance	𝑅^2	𝑏	Significance	𝑅^2
Constant	−19.437	0.994		−23.082			−20.168	0.000
Treatment days	0.49	0.000	0.392			0.06		0.000	0.093
1 to 3 days	−2.47.	0.000		−2.950	0.999		−4.742	0.000
4 to 6 days	−33.35	0.983		2.120	0.999		−1.673	0.000
7 to 10 days	−0.347	0.432		34.130	0.991		−0.908	0.244
Age		0.000	0.185					0.002	0.016
0.5 to 6.9 years	3.515	0.015 ^*		2.997	0.011 ^*		1.288
7 to 13.9 years	−32.589	0.986		3.542	0.998		2.418
Older than 14 years	2.098	0.000		0.87	1.000		1.389
Neonatal period	17.611	0.985	0.027	−31.747	0.994		−18.332	0.996	0.000
Sex	1.098	0.005	0.006	−32.139	0.983		−1.991	0.000	0.016
Familial status	17.443	0.994	0.009	(1)			18.005	0.995	0.008
Febrile days		1.000	0.015		1.000	0.303		0.000	0.284
1 to 3 days	6.068	0.02 ^*		19.421	0.980		5.428	0.000
4 to 6 days	−33.350			30.993	0.997		−18.318	0.998
Clinical score	0.37			(1)		0.21
Lower than 15	12.69	0.67	0.002	3.652	0.971	0.53	5.213	0.872
Higher than 15	14.32	0.21	0.07	17.23	0.823		2.314	0.651
Associated illness	(1)				0.986	0.065		0.078	0.223
Otitis media	(1)				0.997		−1901	0.127
Conjunctivitis	(1)				0.978		25.743	0.997
URI	(1)				0.548		−1.008	0.209
Lymphadenitis	3.678	0.013 ^*			1.000		2.672	0.019
Variables not in the model			0.001			0			0
Total 𝑅^2			0.635			0.631			0.645

^* Statistically significant.
Notes:
(1) Variables rejected from the model due to lack of significance (𝑃<.05).
(2) Dependant variable according to two definitions (i) the difference in antibiotics treatment days (ii) the variable that influences the recurrence of streptococcal pharyngitis.
(3) First group (dummy variable): positive throat culture up to 14 days = 1 treatment days, age, sex, marital status, neonatal complication, associated illness, and fever = 0.
(4) Second group (dummy variable): positive throat culture over 14 days = 1, treatment days, age, sex, marital status, neonatal complication, associated illness, and fever = 0.
(5) Treatment days (dummy variable): up no treatment = 1, 1 to 3 days, 4 to 6 days and 7 to10 days of treatment = 0.
(6) Age (dummy variable): until 5.9 years = 1, 6 to 9.9 years, 10–13.9 years, and 14–18 years = 0.
(7) Sex (dummy variable): male = 1 female = 0.
(8) Familial status (dummy variable): single-parent household = 1, two-parent household = 0.
(9) Neonatal period (dummy variable): no complication = 1, complication = 0.
(10) Associated medical signs and illness (dummy variable): cervical lymphadenitis = 1, conjunctivitis, AOM, URI, gastroenteritis = 0.
(8) Days with fever (dummy variable): no fever = 1, 1 to 3 days, and 4 to 6 days = 0.
(9) Clinical score card (dummy variable): CSC lower than 15 = 0 CSC higher than 15 = 1.