Table 3.
Demographic Characteristics, Medical History, and Clinical Findings in Patients with PVL-positive and PVL-negative MSSA Abscesses
| Characteristic/Finding | PVL-Positive | PVL-Negative | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n/#* (%) | n/#* (%) | ||
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 7.7 (6.1) | 9.0 (6.4) | 0.390 |
| Male sex | 17/28 (61) | 15/38 (40) | 0.135 |
| African-American | 21/27 (78) | 17/38 (45) | 0.011 |
| Prior abscess | 7/27 (26) | 6/40 (15) | 0.349 |
| Chronic health problem | 8/28 (29) | 20/39 (51) | 0.081 |
| Hospitalizations in last year | 2/28 (7) | 6/40 (15) | 0.455 |
| Fever at presentation | 0/18 (0) | 1/23 (4) | 1.00 |
| Hospital admission | 4/24 (17) | 18/31 (58) | 0.002 |
| Leukocytosis (WBC >15,000) | 2/9 (22) | 3/21 (14) | 0.622 |
| Positive blood culture | 1/4 (25) | 2/15 (13) | 0.530 |
| Multiple synchronous abscesses | 5/27 (19) | 12/39 (31) | 0.391 |
| Abscess located on lower body site | 13/28 (46) | 12/41 (29) | 0.203 |
| Abscess diameter, cm (mean ± SD) | 2.88 (1.34) | 2.77 (1.34) | 0.834 |
| Developed subsequent abscess (within 12 months) | 4/22 (18) | 7/39 (18) | 1.00 |
| Either a prior OR subsequent abscess | 10/23 (44) | 10/39 (26) | 0.169 |
| Both a prior AND subsequent abscess | 1/21 (5) | 3/39 (8) | 1.00 |
*
The denominator represents the number of patients for whom the information was available.