Washout	No Washout	p value
Initial CRP (mean ± SD, mg/L) (n)	134.80 ± 167.50 (9)	95.32 ± 89.87 (257)	0.2128
Initial WCC (mean ± SD, x109 cells/L) (n)	15.41 ± 3.23 (18)	15.22 ± 4.76 (402)	0.8688
Initial albumin (mean ± SD, g/dL) (n)	38.17 ± 3.43 (18)	39.49 ± 5.07 (348)	0.2767
Initial bilirubin (mean ± SD, mg/dL) (n)	16.50 ± 15.48 (18)	17.54 ± 9.71 (346)	0.6688
Initial neutrophil count (mean ± SD, x109 cells/L) (n)	12.58 ± 3.34 (18)	12.78 ± 5.88 (402)	0.8886
DOS CRP (mean ± SD, mg/L) (n)	136.60 ± 203.83 (5)	113.10 ± 95.87 (105)	0.6162
DOS WCC (mean ± SD, x109 cells/L) (n)	14.85 ± 3.76 (14)	14.82 ± 5.06 (214)	0.9835
Highest pre-op temperature (mean ± SD, °C) (n)	37.86 ± 1.01 (18)	37.77 ± 0.80 (404)	0.6259
Duration of symptoms (mean ± SD, days) (n)	2.46 ± 1.73 (18)	2.16 ± 2.15 (403)	0.4822
Time from admission to surgery (mean ± SD, hours) (n)	15.28 ± 12.50 (18)	19.65 ± 46.99 (404)	0.6939
Time from admission to antibiotics (mean ± SD, hours) (n)	6.78 ± 8.76 (18)	7.11 ± 7.17 (404)	0.8507
Post-operative IV antibiotic duration (mean ± SD, days) (n)	6.39 ± 1.58 (18)	4.18 ± 1.73 (404)	< 0.0001

n = sample size