Body temperature patterns as a predictor of hospital-acquired sepsis in afebrile adult intensive care unit patients: a case-control study

Table 3 Comparison of temperature curve characteristics and abnormal white blood cell count^a

Characteristics	Septic patients (n= 32)	Control patients (n= 29)	Odds ratio^b (95% CI)	P	Adjusted odds ratio^c (95% CI)	P
Abnormal temperature pattern noted by majority of observers, n (%)	22 (68.8)	7 (24.1)	6.91 (2.23, 21.45)	.001	4.43 (1.31, 15.00)	.017
Maximum temperature (°C), mean (± SD)	37.8 (0.5)	37.4 (0.3)	5.85 (1.65, 20.8)	.006	3.43 (0.84, 14.03)	.087
Minimum temperature (°C), mean (± SD)	36.2 (0.4)	36.2 (0.2)	1.00 (0.22, 4.56)	.99	0.61 (0.10, 3.59)	.58
Greatest change in temperature within any 24-hour period (°C), mean (± SD)	1.5 (0.5)	1.1 (0.3)	10.95 (2.25, 53.35)	.003	6.81 (1.35, 34.25)	.02
Abnormal WBC count (<4,000/μl or >12,000/μl), n (%)	17 (53.1%)	15 (51.7%)	1.05 (0.39, 2.89)	.91	1.58 (0.51, 4.96)	.43

^aCI, confidence interval; IQR, 25% to 75% interquartile range; SD, standard deviation. ^bUnivariate analysis using each temperature characteristic as the independent variable. ^cMultivariate analysis using trauma, requirement for ventilation and temperature characteristic as independent variables. Reported odds ratios are adjusted for all variables in the model.

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