Table 1.
Comparison of General Data Between LRTIs and Non-LRTIs
| LRTIs (n = 149) | Non-LRTIs (n = 39) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (range), years | 60 (51, 69) | 59 (50, 69) | 0.785 |
| Sex, female, n (%) | 32.2 | 33.3 | 1.000 |
| Underlying disease, n (%) | 83.9 | 59.0 | 0.001 |
| Antibiotic use before mNGS, n (%) | 75.2 | 53.8 | 0.011 |
| White blood cell count, 109/L | 7.50 (5.55, 11.00) | 8.10 (5.70, 10.20) | 0.772 |
| White blood cell count, >9.5×109/L | 31.5 | 41.0 | 0.341 |
| Neutrophil count, 109/L | 5.50 (3.55, 8.80) | 5.50 (3.60, 8.70) | 0.917 |
| Neutrophil count, >6.3×109/L | 40.9 | 41.0 | 1.000 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L | 36.08 (3.69, 106.54) | 4.29 (0.50, 29.67) | < 0.001 |
| C-reactive protein, >10 mg/L | 66.9 | 43.6 | 0.010 |
| Procalcitonin, ng/mL | 0.09 (0.04, 0.27) | 0.05 (0.03, 0.09) | 0.003 |
| Procalcitonin, >0.05 ng/mL | 65.7 | 50.0 | 0.087 |
Notes: Data are presented as n (%) or mean (range). Significance was determined by Chi-square test or non-parametric rank sum test.
Abbreviations: LRTIs, lower respiratory tract infections; mNGS, metagenomic next-generation sequencing.