Table 1 The included studies.

Pre-defined patient groups: Pediatric

Ahmed et al. 2004 [1]

Diarrheal illness, hospitalized

Casey et al. 1992 [2]

Pediatric cardiac surgery, ICU

Cooperstock, 1985 [3]

Suspected sepsis, hospitalized

Klein et al. 1988 [4]

Malnourished children, hospitalized

Shenep et al. 1988 [5]

Suspected sepsis, hospitalized

Pre-defined patient groups: Surgery and peri-procedural

Bailey et al. 1976 [6]

Obstructive jaundice, hospitalized

Berger et al. 1995 [7]^a

Post-colonoscopy, unspecified location

Foulis et al. 1982 [8]^f

Acute pancreatitis, hospitalized

Lau et al. 1996 [9]^a

Acute cholangitis, hospitalized

Lumsden et al. 1989 [10]

Percutaneous biliary drainage, hospitalized

Pre-defined patient groups: Specified infections

Brandtzaeg et al. 1989 [11]^a

Meningococcal disease, hospitalized

Brandtzaeg et al. 1996 [12]^a

Meningococcal disease, hospitalized

Butler et al. 1973 [13]^b

Plague, hospitalized

Butler et al. 1976 [14]^b

Plague, hospitalized

Magliulo et al. 1976 [15]^c

Salmonellosis, hospitalized

Magliulo et al. 1976 [15]^{c, d}

Typhoid, hospitalized

Adinolfi et al. 1987 [16]^d

Typhoid, hospitalized

Suyasa et al. 1995 [17]^d

Typhoid, hospitalized

Pre-defined patient groups: Oncology and transplant patients

Bion et al. 1994 [18]

Elective liver transplantation, ICU

Engervall et al. 1997 [19]^a

Febrile, oncology (80% neutropenic), hospitalized

Hynninen et al. 1995 [20]

Febrile, oncology (43% neutropenic), hospitalized

Yoshida et al. 1994 [21]^a

Febrile, oncology (63% neutropenic), hospitalized

Pre-defined patient groups: Other

Byl et al. 2001 [22]^a

Suspected sepsis, hospitalized

Giamarellos et al. 1999 [23]^a

Acute pyelonephritis, hospitalized

Levin et al. 1972 [24]

Suspected sepsis, hospitalized

Stumacher et al. 1973 [25]

Suspected bacteremia, hospitalized

Van Langervelde et al. 2000 [26]^a

Febrile hospital admissions, hospitalized

Adult patients in ICU with sepsis as contemporaneously defined

Bates et al. 1998 [27]^a

Sepsis syndrome, multi-center cohort, hospitalized

Billard et al. 1994 [28]

Septic shock, ICU

Danner et al. 1991 [29]^a

Clinically defined septic shock, ICU

Dofferhoff et al. 1992 [30]

Clinically defined severe sepsis, ICU

Goldie et al. 1995 [31]^a

Sepsis syndrome, ICU

Guidet et al. 1994 [32]^a

Sepsis syndrome, ICU

Strutz et al. 1999 [33]

Sepsis syndrome, ICU

Wortel et al. 1992 [34]^e

Sepsis syndrome, multi-center cohort, ICU

Opal et al. 1999 [35]

(Low; >20 pg/ml) ^{a, f}

Sepsis syndrome, multi-center cohort, ICU

Opal et al. 1999 [35]

(High; >660 pg/ml) ^{a, f}

Sepsis syndrome, multi-center cohort, ICU