TABLE 1.
Patient baseline characteristics
| Baseline characteristic | Value for groupa
|
P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (n = 22) | B (n = 28) | ||
| Male sex | 17 (77.3) | 21 (75.0) | 0.85 |
| Age (yr) (mean ± SD) | 47.7 ± 18.3 | 41.7 ± 21.1 | 0.29 |
| Underlying conditions | 8 (36.4) | 6 (21.4) | 0.34 |
| Source of infection | 0.27 | ||
| Postsurgical | 18 (81.8) | 16 (57.1) | |
| Hematogenous | 3 (13.6) | 6 (21.4) | |
| Secondary to trauma | 1 (4.5) | 3 (10.7) | |
| Secondary to contiguous focus | 0 (0) | 3 (10.7) | |
| Localization of infection | 0.41 | ||
| Femur | 9 (40.9) | 8 (28.6) | |
| Tibia | 7 (31.8) | 9 (32.1) | |
| Humerus | 3 (13.6) | 2 (7.1) | |
| Small bones (hand, foot, or patella) | 3 (13.6) | 9 (32.1) | |
| Previous episodes | 9 (47.4) | 11 (42.3) | 0.74 |
| Median duration of symptoms (mo) (IQR)b | 5 (2-16) | 3 (1-10) | 0.25 |
| Temp of >38°C | 6 (27.3) | 4 (14.3) | 0.43 |
| Orthopedic implants (not prosthesis) | 10 (45.2) | 10 (35.7) | 0.49 |
a
All data are numbers (%) of patients except where otherwise indicated.
b
The median (IQR) values by source of infection are as follows: for postsurgical infections, 3 (1-15); for hematogenous infections, 5 (2-84); for infections secondary to trauma, 6 (2-18); and for infections secondary to contiguous focus, 2 (1-2) (P = 0.41).