Table 2.
Characteristics of Infection Cases in Nursing Home Residents Stratified According to Triage Group, After Matching According to Propensity Score (n = 256 in Each Group)
| Patient Characteristic | Hospital Triage | Nursing Home Triage | P-Value | Standardized Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male, % | 29 | 27 | .56 | 0.051 |
| Age, mean ± SD | 82.0 ± 7.2 | 82.4 ± 7.4 | .51 | – 0.059 |
| Caucasian, % | 74 | 67 | .08 | 0.154 |
| Education, years, mean ± SD | 9.5 ± 3.4 | 8.9 ± 3.6 | .06 | 0.171 |
| Minimum Data Set activity of daily living score, mean ± SD | 20.0 ± 9.6 | 20.1 ± 9.7 | .92 | – 0.009 |
| Chronic conditions, % | 2.9 ± 1.6 | 3.0 ± 1.7 | .92 | – 0.012 |
| Dementia, % | 51 | 52 | .72 | – 0.030 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2, mean ± SD | 22.4 ± 5.1 | 22.3 ± 5.3 | .94 | 0.008 |
| Hospitalized within past year, % | 86 | 87 | .90 | – 0.012 |
| Pressure ulcer at nursing home admission, % | 13 | 13 | .79 | – 0.024 |
| Medicaid eligible, % | 33 | 39 | .17 | – 0.123 |
| Diagnostic Cost Group/Hierarchical Coexisting Condition score, mean ± SD | 16,409 ± 9,808 | 17,672 ± 10,250 | .20 | – 0.126 |
| Medicare qualifying stay, % | 47 | 48 | .93 | – 0.008 |
| Infection characteristics, % | ||||
| Genitourinary | 28 | 29 | .77 | – 0.027 |
| Skin | 14 | 15 | .90 | – 0.008 |
| Upper respiratory | 10 | 11 | .57 | – 0.022 |
| Lower respiratory | 25 | 22 | .35 | 0.083 |
| Gastrointestinal | 2 | 1 | .31 | 0.089 |
| Bloodstream | 5 | 4 | .83 | 0.019 |
| Fever >100.0°F | 20 | 18 | .48 | 0.051 |
| Physician visit within 3 days of infection onset | 36 | 32 | .30 | 0.091 |
SD = standard deviation.