Cost and mortality prediction using polymerase chain reaction pathogen detection in sepsis: evidence from three observational trials

Table 2 Underlying diagnoses and identification of clinically significant microorganisms in 221 ICU or surgical ward episodes (subset of data reported earlier [17])

	Totals	PCR + episodes	Share of PCR+ epsiodes^bSh_PCR+	BC+ episodes	Share of BC+ epsiodes^b Sh _BC+
Total ^a	221	73	0.33	44	0.20
Underlying diagnoses ^a
- Intra-abdominal sepsis	87	31	0.36	22	0.25
- Nosocomial pneumonia	80	28	0.35	21	0.26
- Community acquired pneumonia	6	1	0.17	0	0
- Multi-organ dysfunction syndrome	7	4	0.57	4	0.57
- Catheter related sepsis; post cardiac surgery	45	18	0.40	9	0.20
- Neutropenic fever	15	5	0.33	2	0.13
- Bone/joint infection	9	4	0.44	0	0
Other	46	11	0.24	3	0.07

^a underlying diagnoses do not add up to totals due to dual conditions
^b at least one clinically significant microorganism retrieved in one PCR, respectively in any of several (as in standard of care) BC tests.
BC, blood culture (BC+: blood culture with clinically relevant microorganism identified, not counting contaminations that are immediately at reporting evident to the treating clinician); PCR, polymerase chain reaction (PCR+: PCR with clinically relevant microorganism identified. Note that in our study, all PCR+ reported microorganisms are considered clinically relevant.

ISSN: 1364-8535