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Table 2 Demographic characteristics and acute care management of patients with blood cultures submitted to outpatient collection sites, Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta (2001 and 2002).

From: Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients

Characteristic

Positive cultures (n = 51)

Negative cultures (n = 1681)

Total (n = 1732)

P-value*

Mean age ± standard deviation (years)

49.6 ± 21.1

40.1 ± 22.6

40.3 ± 22.6

< 0.01

Male gender

30 (59%)

829 (49%)

859 (50%)

0.2

Collection at high volume (main) lab vs. other sites

16 (31%)

236 (14%)

252 (15%)

< 0.01

Acute care usage within two weeks of culture

35 (69%)

296 (18%)

331 (19%)

< 0.0001

Emergency department

9 (18%)

147 (9%)

156 (9%)

0.04

HPTP clinic

2 (4%)

15 (1%)

17 (1%)

0.08

Admitted to hospital

24 (47%)

134 (8%)

158 (9%)

< 0.0001

Median days of acute care therapy

6 (IQR = 2, 14; n = 35)

2 (IQR = 1, 6; n = 296)

2 (IQR = 1, 6; n = 331)

< 0.001

Median time (days) to acute care assessment

2 (IQR = 1, 2; n = 35)

3 (IQR = 2, 5; n = 296)

2 (IQR = 1, 5; n = 331)

< 0.01

  1. Note: * p-value for comparison between those with positive and negative cultures using Fisher's exact test, Student's T test, and Wilcoxon Rank-sum test for comparison of proportions, means, and medians, respectively.