Table 1.
Comparison of Patient Characteristics and Clinical Course Between Low-Procalcitonin (<0.5 µg/L, Group A) and High-Procalcitonin (≥0.5 µg/L, Group B) Patient Groups
| Group A (n = 125) | Group B (n = 207) | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), y | 56.5 (17.6) | 56.6 (16.7) | .945 |
| Male, No. (%) | 71 (56.8) | 116 (56.0) | .892 |
| White, No. (%) | 103 (82.4) | 165 (79.7) | .547 |
| Hispanic/Latino, No. (%) | 45 (36.0) | 73 (35.3) | .871 |
| Comorbidities, No. (%) | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 39 (31.2) | 89 (43.0) | .032 |
| Malignancy | 11 (8.8) | 25 (12.1) | .352 |
| Chronic lung disease | 10 (8.0) | 13 (6.3) | .550 |
| Chronic immunosuppressiona | 9 (7.2) | 18 (8.7) | .629 |
| Cirrhosis | 9 (7.2) | 20 (9.7) | .441 |
| Heart failure | 9 (7.2) | 18 (8.7) | .629 |
| Chronic renal replacement therapy | 4 (3.2) | 20 (9.7) | .028 |
| Chronic oral corticosteroid useb | 3 (2.4) | 8 (3.9) | .545 |
| ICU disposition, No. (%) | 18 (14.4) | 78 (37.7) | <.001 |
| Bacteremia source, No. (%) | |||
| Skin/bone | 52 (41.6) | 54 (26.1) | .003 |
| Urinary | 27 (21.6) | 61 (29.5) | .116 |
| Endovascular/line-related | 14 (11.2) | 22 (10.6) | .871 |
| Respiratory | 9 (7.2) | 26 (12.6) | .123 |
| Intra-abdominal | 9 (7.2) | 19 (9.2) | .530 |
| Central nervous system | 2 (1.6) | 2 (1.0) | .634 |
| Other/unknown | 12 (9.6) | 23 (11.1) | .664 |
| No. of positive blood cultures, No. (%) | |||
| 1 of 2 | 48 (38.4) | 69 (33.3) | .349 |
| 2 of 2 | 74 (59.2) | 128 (61.8) | .634 |
| Repeat blood cultures drawn, No. (%) | 122 (97.6) | 189 (91.3) | .022 |
| Repeat blood cultures positive, No. (%) | 18 (14.8) | 36 (19.0) | .329 |
| ESR >20 mm/h, No. (%)c,d | 39 (86.7) | 37 (82.2) | .561 |
| CRP >10, No. (%)c,d | 47 (95.9) | 52 (100) | .233 |
| Tmax ≥38°C, No. (%)c | 77 (61.6) | 108 (52.2) | .094 |
| WBC ≥12, No. (%)c | 57 (45.6) | 141 (68.1) | <.001 |
| Respiratory rate ≥20, No. (%)c | 98 (78.4) | 188 (90.8) | .002 |
| Mechanically ventilated, No. (%) | 5 (4.0) | 32 (15.5) | .001 |
| Heart rate ≥90, No. (%)c | 110 (88.0) | 188 (90.8) | .411 |
| Need for vasopressor support, No. (%) | 11 (8.8) | 50 (24.2) | <.001 |
| Antibiotic delay >24 h, No. (%) | 10 (8.9) | 6 (3.3) | .038 |
| Antibiotic duration, median (IQR), d | 14 (10–42) | 14 (11–28) | .111 |
| Length of stay, median (IQR), d | 6 (4–9) | 6 (4–10) | .301 |
| In-hospital mortality, No. (%) | 1 (0.8) | 16 (7.7) | .004 |
Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; PCT, procalcitonin; WBC, white blood cell count.
aAIDS, chemotherapy in the past 30 days, ≥20 mg of prednisone or equivalent daily for a minimum of 2 weeks, or receipt of other highly immunosuppressive agent within 3 months.
b≥5 mg prednisone or equivalent steroid dose daily for >1 month.
cBased on highest recorded value within 24 hours of initial blood culture.
dAmong patients with reported values.