TABLE 1.
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with soft tissue abscesses in New Caledonia, France
| Characteristic | Patients witha:
|
P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. aureus abscess (n = 68) | Non-S.aureus abscess (n = 27) | ||
| Demographics | |||
| Men | 43 (63.2) | 17 (63) | 0.58 |
| Mean age (yr) | 29.5 | 29.4 | |
| Melanesian | 51 (75) | 18 (67.7) | 0.28 |
| Tribal living | 28 (55) | 9 (50) | 0.45 |
| Potential predisposing factors | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 5 (7.4) | 4 (14.8) | 0.23 |
| S. aureus nasal carriage | 27 (39.7) | 5 (18.5) | 0.39 |
| Personal history of furunculosis | 8 (11.8) | 3 (11.1) | 0.62 |
| Familial history of furunculosis | 6 (8.8) | 2 (7.4) | 0.59 |
| Personal history of abscess | 13 (19.1) | 5 (18.5) | 0.60 |
| Familial history of abscess | 6 (8.8) | 3 (11.1) | 0.50 |
| Disease presentation | |||
| Fever (temp, >38°C) on admission | 19 (27.9) | 6 (22.2) | 0.38 |
| Mean days (SD) between symptom onset and hospitalization | 5.7 (3.4) | 10 (15.6) | 0.177 |
| “Primary” infections | 46 (67.6) | 8 (29.6) | 0.001 |
| Onset as a furuncle | 25 (36.8) | 2 (7.4) | 0.003 |
| None | 21 (30.9) | 6 (22.2) | 0.28 |
| “Secondary” infections | 22 (32.4) | 19 (70.4) | 0.001 |
| Superficial wound injury | 12 (17.7) | 12 (44.4) | 0.008 |
| Trauma | 1 (1.5) | 3 (1.1) | 0.068 |
| Puncture | 9 (13.2) | 2 (7.4) | 0.34 |
| Other | 0 | 2 (7.4) | 0.08 |
a
The data are presented as the number (percent) of patients unless indicated otherwise.