Table 5.
Comparison of Clinical Markers of Inflammation and Clinical Adjudication by Bacterial Abundance
| Quantity, Copies/mL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | 104–105 (n = 40) | 106 to ≥107 (n = 109) | P Value |
| Median (IQR) | |||
| WBC, 103/μL | 12.35 (8.1–14.5) | 11.5 (9.4–15.3) | .23 |
| PCT, ng/mLa | 0.12 (0.06–0.21) | 0.16 (0.06–0.92) | .16 |
| No. (%) | |||
| PCT >0.25 ng/mLa | 8/39 (21) | 44/108 (41) | .03 |
| Adjudicated as bacterialb | 11/40 (28) | 69/109 (63) | <.0001 |
Results of good quality samples with quantifiable standard bacteria detected (n = 149) were analyzed by low and high genomic copy number. Samples with atypical bacteria detected were excluded because testing was qualitative.
Abbreviations: PCT, procalcitonin; WBC, white blood cell.
aPCT testing was missing in 1 participant in each group.
bBacterial = bacterial alone or bacteria + virus.