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Table 1 Descriptive data and clinical presentation by 3 age groups

From: Age-related differences in symptoms, diagnosis and prognosis of bacteremia

  

Age groups (% within age group)

 
 

Total material (680 patients)

< 65 years

(228 patients)

65-84 years

(334 patients)

≥ 85 years

(118 patients)

Overall p-value

Age in years; median (IQR)

75 (57.5 - 82)

50.5 (38–58)

78 (73–81)

88 (86–91)

 

Gender; male

289 (42.5%)

93 (40.8%)

160 (47.9%)

36 (30.5%)

0.004

Bacteraemia caused by E. coli

450 (66.2%)

131 (57.5%)

240 (71.9%)

79 (66.9%)

0.002

Bacteremia caused by S. pneumoniae

230 (33.8%)

97 (42.5%)

94 (28.1%)*

39 (33.1%)

 

Comorbidity

     

  Number of comorbid conditions1; median(IQR)

1 (0–2)

0 (0–1)

1 (0–2)*

1 (1–2)*

< 0.001

  Aftrial fibrrillation (chronic or paroxystic)

75 (11.2%)

0

47 (14.2)*

28 (24.3)*

< 0.001

  Ischemic heart disease

145 (21.6%)

13 (5.8%)

91 (27.5%)*

41 (35.7%)*

< 0.001

  Congestive heart failure

91 (13.5%)

6 (2.7%)

55 (16.6%)*

30 (26.1%)*

< 0.001

  Hypertension

151 (22.5%)

25 (11.1%)

91 (27.5%)*

35 (30.4%)*

< 0.001

  Cerebrovascular disorder

93 (13.8%)

11 (4.9%)

59 (17.8%)*

23 (20.0%)*

< 0.001

  Chronic obstructive lung disease

71 (10.6%)

15 (6.6%)

50 (15.1%)*

6 (5.2%)

0.001

  Alcohol abuse

46 (6.8%)

24 (10.6%)

21 (6.3%)

1 (0.9%)*

0.003

  Malignant disease (solid cancer, leukemia orlymphoma)

45 (6.7%)

16 (7.1%)

24 (7.3%)

5 (4.3%)

0.540

  Chronic renal failure

21 (3.1%)

6 (2.7%)

12 (3.6%)

3 (2.6%)

0.763

  Diabetes mellitus

82 (12.2%)

20 (8.8%)

49 (14.8%)*

13 (11.3%)

0.103

Tentative diagnosis by admitting physician:

     

  Infection

331 (48.7%)

132 (57.9%)

143 (42.8%)*

56 (47.5%)

0.002

  Non-specific2

89 (13.1%)

7 (3.1%)

59 (17.7%)*

23 (19.5%)*

< 0.001

  Organ focused

158 (23.2)

56 (24.6%)

78 (23.4%)

24 (20.3%)

0.676

Symptoms on infection

     

  Total number of reported symptoms; median (IQR)

3 (2–4)

3 (2–4)

3 (2–4)

3 (2–3)

0.351

  “Classical symptoms”3≥ 3

253 (37.4%)

110 (48.7%)

108 (32.5%)*

35 (29.7%)*

< 0.001

  Zero ”classical symptoms”

57 (8.4%)

7 (3.1%)

36 (10.8%)*

14 (11.9%)*

0.002

  “Atypical symptoms”4 ≥1

337 (49.6%)

82 (36.0%)

180 (53.9%)*

75 (63.6%)*

< 0.001

Signs of infection at admission

     

  Decline in general health

289 (42.6%)

81 (35.5%)

152 (45.6%)*

56 (47.5%)*

0.029

  Leukocytosis (≥ 15000/μl)

280 (41.2%)

98 (43.0%)

129 (38.6%)

53 (45.3%)

0.363

  Leukopenia (< 3000/μl)

37 (5.4%)

8 (3.5%)

24 (7.2%)

5 (4.3%)

0.140

C-reactive protein (CRP)

     

      CRP median (IQR);mg/L

191 (83–311)

222 (92 -351)

179 (72-266)*

180 (94-317)

0.022

      CRP ≥ 80 mg/L

514 (75.6%)

175 (76.8%)

245 (73.4%)

94 (79.7%)

0.344

      CRP ≥ 200mg/L

324 (47.6%)

123 (53.9%)

147 (44.0%)

54 (45.8%)

0.062

  Fever (≥ 38.5°C)

438 (65.8%)

154 (69.1%)

208 (64.0%)

76 (64.4%)

0.445

  Hypothermia (< 36°C)

10 (1.5%)

7 (3.1%)

1 (0.3%)*

2 (1.7%)

0.027

      Median number of SIRScriteria (IQR)

3 (2–3)

3 (2–3)

2 (2–3)

2 (2–3)

0.099

      No. of patients withSIRS ≥ 3

343 (50.4%)

127 (55.7%)

160 (47.9%)

56 (47.5%)

0.149

      No. of patients withSIRS ≥ 2

563 (82.8%)

198 (86.8%)

270 (80.8%)

95 (80.5%)

0.139

New-onset atrial fibrillation

104 (15.5%)

11 (4.9%)

72 (21.8%)*

21 (18.3%)*

< 0.001

  1. 1 Comorbid conditions: Malignant disease, alcoholism,diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, heart failure. 2Non-specific tentative diagnoses: acute deterioration of performingdaily tasks, reduced general condition, confusion, dizziness, falls,fainting, question of cerebral infarction. 3 “Typicalsymptoms”: fever/chills, localized pain, nausea/vomiting,diarrhoea, cough, dyspnoea, expectoration, signs of urinary tractinfection (UTI) such as urgency, pyuria, haematuria; skin rash, coma,seizures. 4 “Atypical symptoms”: Malaise,fall/dizziness/syncope/unsteadiness, immobility, acute incontinence ofurine or faeces, paresis, speaking difficulties, confusion.*Significantly different from the age group < 65, whichwas treated as reference group.