Table 1.
Validity indices (95% confidence interval) for three commonly used methods of detecting catheter-related bloodstream infection
| Measure | Semiquantitative superficial cultures | Differential quantitative blood cultures | Differential time to positivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 78.6 (59.0-91.7) | 71.4 (51.3-86.8) | 96.4 (81.7-99.9) |
| Specificity | 92.0 (87.0-95.6) | 97.7 (94.3-99.4) | 90.3 (85.0-94.3) |
| Positive predictive value | 61.1 (43.5-76.9) | 83.3 (62.6-95.3) | 61.4 (45.5-75.6) |
| Negative predictive value | 96.4 (92.4-98.7) | 95.6 (91.4-98.1) | 99.4 (96.6-99.9) |
| Accuracy | 90.2 (85.3-93.9) | 94.1 (90.0-96.9) | 91.2 (86.4-94.7) |
From reference [31].