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Table 1 Characteristics of clinically-diagnosed skin and soft tissue infection episodes, Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, 2009–2011 a

From: Incidence, microbiology, and patient characteristics of skin and soft-tissue infections in a U.S. population: a retrospective population-based study

All episodes

471,550 (100)

Type of SSTI

 

  Carbuncle and furuncle

24,238 (5)

  Impetigo

37,075 (8)

  Other infections of the skin

31,870 (7)

  Folliculitis

69,000 (15)

  Other SSTI

11,331 (2)

  Cellulitis and abscess

298,036 (63)

Gender

 

  Female

249,844 (53)

  Male

221,706 (47)

Age in years

 

  Under 5

32,384 (7)

  5- < 18

73,779 (16)

  18- < 50

185,103 (39)

  50- < 65

97,277 (21)

  65+

83,007 (18)

Mean age (std)

40.82 (24)

Race/ethinicity

 

  Asian

55,595 (12)

  African-American

43,407 (9)

  Hispanic

96,626 (20)

  Native American

2,967 (1)

  Multiracial

18,449 (4)

  White

254,507 (54)

Microbiology test performedb

108,243 (23)

Any pathogen identified by microbiology test

58,794 (12)

  1. a Episodes were defined as beginning on the date of the first skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) diagnosis and ending with the last SSTI or SSTI-related complication diagnosis, not followed by another SSTI or SSTI complication diagnosis within 42 days. Duration of health services use was calculated as the number of days from the start of the episode to the end of the episode. Values in columns are number of episodes and percent of all episodes, unless otherwise indicated.
  2. b Microbiology tests included in analyses were those performed on blood, tissue, body fluid or other miscellaneous bacterial specimens (such as those taken from abscesses, pustules, boils, etc.) obtained from the patient within 7 days prior to the beginning of the SSTI episode to 7 days after the end of the episode. Respiratory, cerebrospinal fluid and urine specimens were excluded. These microbiology tests were considered to have been performed to determine SSTI etiology. A minority of episodes received such testing.