Table 2.

Results for chest tube tip cultures and postoperative infections

Chest tube tip cultures	Postoperative infection (n = 42)	No postoperative infection (n = 168)	Postoperative infectionsa
			SSI (n = 8)	Pneumonia (n = 36)	Empyema (n = 2)
Positive	13	28	6	9	2
Negative	29	140	2	27	0

The table results in the following estimates of accuracy for prediction of postoperative infections using a chest tube tip culture: sensitivity 31%, specificity 83%, positive predictive value 32% and negative predictive value 83%

SSI, Surgical site infection

^aIn 2 patients 2 types of infections developed and in 1 patient 3 types of infections developed