Patients were grouped into one of three PERSEVERE II–based mortality risk strata: low risk (n = 286; mortality risk, 0.000 to 0.019), intermediate risk (n = 106; mortality risk, 0.167 to 0.189), and high risk (n = 69; mortality risk, 0.300 to 0.571). (A) Proportion of patients in each risk stratum having any positive pathogen culture from any normally sterile site (P < 0.05, χ2 test, two degrees of freedom). (B) Among patients with positive cultures, proportion of patients in each risk stratum having a positive blood culture (P < 0.05, χ2 test, two degrees of freedom).