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Table 2 Frequency (percent) or median (interquartile range) of collected variables in full cohort and by confirmed blood culture results

From: Blood cultures taken from patients attending emergency departments in South Africa are an important antibiotic stewardship tool, which directly influences patient management

Characteristic

All data n = 500

Blood culture negative n = 461

Blood culture positive n = 39

OR (95 % CI)

N (%) or Median (IQR)

N (%) or Median (IQR)

N (%) or Median (IQR)

Blood volume (mls)

8.89 (6.18, 11.1)

8.83 (6.06, 11)

9.47 (7.5, 11.3)

1.05 (0.97, 1.12)

Weight (kg)

72.6 (69.4, 76.2)

72.6 (69.3, 76.2)

73.1 (70.9, 75.7)

0.99 (0.98, 1)

Age (years)

48 (31, 64)

47 (31, 64)

51 (32, 64.5)

1.01 (0.99, 1.02)

Temperature (C)

37.4 (36.2, 38.4)

37.4 (36.2, 38.4)

37.4 (36.4, 38.5)

1.14 (0.92, 1.45)

Pulse (bpm)

110 (93, 122)

109 (92, 122)

117 (100, 130)

1.02 (1, 1.04)

Respiratory rate (bpm)

22 (18, 28)

22 (18, 28)

24 (20, 29.8)

1.02 (0.98, 1.06)

Oxygen saturations

96 (92, 98)

96 (92, 98)

96 (91, 98)

0.99 (0.94, 1.05)

Inspired oxygen concentration (%)

21 (21, 21)

21 (21, 21)

21 (21, 21)

1.01 (0.99, 1.02)

Chills present

210 (43.8)

190 (43)

20 (52.6)

1.57 (0.83, 3)

Confusion present

142 (29.5)

130 (29.4)

12 (30.8)

1.09 (0.53, 2.11)

CRB 65 score

    

 0

169 (33.8)

161 (34.9)

8 (20.5)

1.00 (ref)

 1

191 (38.2)

173 (37.5)

18 (46.1)

1.69 (0.78, 3.87)

 2

101 (20.2)

95 (20.6)

6 (15.4)

1.03 (0.34, 2.85)

 3

35 (7)

29 (6.3)

6 (15.4)

3.21 (1.03, 9.32)

 4

4 (0.8)

3 (0.6)

1 (2.6)

5.53 (0.26, 47.95)

Diabetic

111 (22.2)

96 (20.8)

15 (38.5)

2.08 (1.04, 4.01)

HIV infected

96 (19.2)

87 (18.9)

9 (23.1)

1.33 (0.6, 2.72)

Hospital

    

GSH

409 (82)

374 (81.3)

35 (89.7)

1.00 (ref)

VIC

90 (18)

86 (18.7)

4 (10.3)

0.43 (0.13, 1.1)

Diastolic blood pressure <60 mmHg

138 (28)

118 (26)

20 (51.3)

2.48 (1.3, 4.7)

Systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg

38 (7.7)

30 (6.6)

8 (21.1)

3.26 (1.31, 7.34)

Sex

    

 Female

263 (52.6)

244 (52.9)

19 (48.7)

1.00 (ref)

 Male

237 (47.4)

217 (47.1)

20 (51.3)

1.38 (0.74, 2.63)

Current malignancy present

35 (7)

30 (6.5)

5 (12.8)

2.52 (0.9, 6.09)

Antibiotics in previous 48 h

84 (17.2)

80 (17.8)

4 (10.3)

0.51 (0.15, 1.33)

Source (reduced categories – used in all modelling)

    

Othersa

 88 (17.6)

 86 (18.7)

 2 (5.1)

 0.32 (0.05,1.17)

Biliary

19 (3.8)

12 (2.6)

7 (17.9)

9.42 (3.25, 26.83)

LRTI

206 (41.2)

195 (42.3)

11 (28.2)

1.00 (ref)

Meningitis

28 (5.6)

24 (5.2)

4 (10.3)

2.36 (0.63, 7.24)

Unknown

103 (20.6)

93 (20.2)

10 (25.6)

1.59 (0.66, 3.75)

UTI

56 (11.2)

51 (11.1)

5 (12.8)

1.44 (0.45, 4.02)

  1. P-value by Fisher’s exact test (discrete variables) or Wilcoxon rank sum test (continuous variables), odd’s ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval from univariate logistic regression
  2. *p-value by Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables, Fisher’s exact test for discrete variables except for the reduced source variable. OR (95 % CI) estimated on full data set
  3. aOthers includes categories: bowel, endocarditis, gynae, other, SSTI