Table 1 Baseline characteristics of all patients and comparison between hospitalised vs non-hospitalised patient groups
All Patients N 310 | Group A Hospitalised N 54 | Group B Non-Hospitalised N 256 | Group A vs B P values | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years) mean ± SD | 71.63 ± 7.79 | 74.11 ± 8.24 | 71.12 ± 7.61 | 0.010 |
Gender-female(%) | 56.1%% | 56.6% | 56.0% | 1 |
Duration of symptoms before the admission (weeks) mean ± SD | 11.36 ± 11.54 | 6.94 ± 5.60 | 12.37 ± 12.30 | 0.001 |
CRP (mg/lt) mean ± SD | 55.37 ± 46.50 | 99.53 ± 59.36 | 45.82 ± 36.96 | < 0.00001 |
Morning stiffness duration > 45 min | 94.8% | 98.1% | 94.1% | 0.220 |
Hip pain or limited range of motion | 71.3%% | 78.8% | 69.8% | 0.182 |
RF and ACPA negative | 96.1%% | 98.1% | 95.7% | 0.675 |
Absence of other joint involvement | 71.9% | 71.7% | 72.0% | 1 |
Initial prednisolone dose(mg) mean ± SD | 18.49 ± 8.50 | 20.75 ± 10.02 | 18.01 ± 8.08 | 0.030 |