Table 4.
Comparison of antibiotics use in patients with fever after TACE and/or RFA between prestudy and study period.
| Study period N = 563 | Prestudy period N = 569 | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TACE/RFA | 0.041 | ||
| TACE | 433 (76.9) | 416 (73.1) | |
| RFA | 103 (18.3) | 135 (23.7) | |
| Sequential TACE/RFA | 27 (4.8) | 18 (3.2) | |
| Proven bacterial infection | 15 (2.7) | 14 (2.5) | 0.853 |
| Proven bacterial infection within 7days | 10 (1.8) | 11 (1.9) | >0.9 |
| Number of cases antibiotics prescribed | 63 (11.2) | 124 (21.8) | <0.001 |
| Duration of antibiotics prescribed, median days (IQR) | 6 (3–10) | 7 (5–13) | <0.001 |
| Length of hospital stay (after TACE/RFA), median days (IQR) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–6) | <0.001 |
TACE: transarterial chemoembolization; RFA: radiofrequency ablation; IQR: interquartile range.