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Table 2 The number, frequency duration, severity of presenting symptoms of patients at initial assessment by the home based care service

From: The pattern of symptoms in patients receiving home based care in Bangwe, Malawi : a descriptive study

Symptom on first presentation

Number and Percentage of patients with symptoma

Duration of symptoms prior to presentation in daysa

Persistence of symptom after treatment dispensed at time of initial assessment in daysb

Frequency of recurring symptom per yearb

 

number

%

median

75 percentile

90 percentile

median

75 percentile

95 percentile

median

75 percentile

95 percentile

Headache

267

74

   

14

29

189

1.9

3.2

7.7

Fever

253

70

4

14

52

14

35

117

1.7

4.0

9.4

Chest pain

245

68

   

14

42

167

2.2

4.7

8.9

Shortness of breath

241

67

         

Cough

239

66

4

15

36

19

45

150

2.6

4.1

9.1

SOB walking

221

61

         

Stomach pains

215

60

         

Poor appetite

205

57

   

12

21

92

0.9

3.4

7.9

Lower limb pain

163

45

   

28

68

199

1.6

3.2

7.1

Nausea or vomiting

143

40

         

Diarrhoea

140

39

3

12

52

7

14

70

0.0

3.4

9.4

Problem swallowing

121

34

         

Skin problems

122

34

         

SOB doing nothing

107

30

         

Thrush

89

29

   

8

27

195

   

Previous shingles

101

28

         

Other pain

97

27

         

Itchy rash

93

26

   

14

50

298

0.0

1.3

4.5

Genital ulcers

46

13

         

Urethral discharge

40

11

         

Mouth ulcers

37

10

         
  1. Note a calculated from initial assessment data
  2. b calculated using follow up data