TABLE 5.
Probability of infection as a function of the time that the prosthesis was in situ and the number of specimens positive
| Time (yr) that prosthesis was in situ (no. of patients)a | Pretest probability of infection (%) | Posttest probability of infection (%)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All specimens negative (LR = 0.21) | One specimen positive (LR = 0.74) | Two specimens positive (LR = 2.1) | Three or more specimens positive (LR = 169) | ||
| <2 (43) | 39.5 | 12 | 33 | 58 | 99 |
| 2–4 (50) | 18 | 4 | 14 | 32 | 97 |
| 4–10 (97) | 8.2 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 94 |
| >10 (91) | 6.6 | 1.5 | 5 | 13 | 92 |
a
Specimens from 281 patients were tested.