Table 1.

Patient characteristics, clinical variables and laboratory parameters

		All episodes	Bacterial infection	No bacterial infection	p value
Number	Patients	55	16	39
	Episodes	77 (1, 1–5)	18 (1, 1–2)	59 (1, 1–5)
Sex–number (%)	Male	34 (44.2%)	11 (61.1%)	23 (39%)	0.114a
	Female	43 (55.8%)	7 (38.9%)	36 (61%)
Age (years)	At diagnosis	5.7 (0.6–16.8)	3.8 (0.6–16.8)	6.1 (0.6–16.2)	0.177b
	At inclusion	6.3 (0.8–18.8c)	5.0 (1.3–17.8)	80 (0.8–18.8c)	0.287b
Type of cancer	Hematologic	44 (57.1%)	13 (72.2%)	31 (51.7%)	0.223a
	Solid	26 (33.8%)	3 (16.7%)	23 (38.3%)
	Brain	7 (9.1%)	2 (11.1%)	6 (10%)
Temperature (°C)		38.8 (34.2–40.2)	39.0 (38.0–40.2)	38.6 (34.2–40.1)	0.057b
Hemoglobin (mmol/L)		5.0 (2.5–7.3)	5.1 (2.5–7.3)	5.0 (3.0–6.7)	0.409b
Leukocytes ×109		0.40 (0.09–3.20)	0.3 (< 0.2–1.30)	0.50 (0.09–3.2)	0.142b
Neutrophils ×109		< 0.2 (< 0.2–0.50)	< 0.2 (< 0.2–0.50)	< 0.2 (< 0.2–0.42)	1.000b
Thrombocytes ×109		49 (1–820)	44 (1–404)	55 (1–820)	0.639b
CRP (mg/L)		47.5 (4–330)	96 (4–206)	36 (4–330)	0.061b
IL-8 (ng/L)	T0d	79 (4–2214)	176 (30–1573)	54 (4–2214)	0.002b
	T1e	61 (5–998)	218 (39–916)	45 (5–998)	0.000b
IL-6 (ng/L)	T0	107 (3.9–2971)	345 (109–2971)	91.9 (3.9–1731)	< 0.001b
	T1	75 (8.4–10,380)	242 (66–10,380)	57 (8.4–705)	0.001b
PCT (ng/mL)	T0	0.40 (0.05–15.74)	1.00 (0.17–15.74)	0.32 (0.05–15.39)	0.021b
	T1	0.51 (0.04–48.0)	1.80 (0.12–48.0)	0.38 (0.04–5.49)	0.011b

Data are expressed as medians with ranges, unless specified otherwise. Temperature and blood samples for laboratory measurements were taken on admission

CRP C-reactive protein, IL-6/IL-8 interleukin-6/-8, PCT procalcitonin, T0 time of presentation, T1 12 to 24 h after presentation

^aChi-square test

^bMann-Whitney U test

^cOnly one patient of 18.8 years of age. All other patients were under 18 years of age

^dAvailable in 76 episodes

^eAvailable in 49 episodes