Table 3 Characteristics of the cohort, based on receipt of inappropriate empiric therapy

Baseline characteristics

 Mean age, years (SD)

62.4 (15.6)

62.7 (15.9)

0.767

 Male sex

202

53.3 %

373

51.9 %

0.654

 Race/ethnicity

  White

236

62.3 %

464

64.5 %

0.055

  Black

103

27.2 %

159

22.1 %

  Hispanic

7

1.8 %

32

4.5 %

  Other

33

8.7 %

64

8.9 %

 Admission source

  Non-healthcare facility (including from home)

223

58.8 %

357

49.7 %

0.022

  Clinic

14

3.7 %

15

2.1 %

  Transfer from ECF

69

18.2 %

173

24.1 %

  Transfer from another non-acute care facility

8

2.1 %

20

2.8 %

  Emergency department

63

16.6 %

148

20.6 %

  Other

2

0.5 %

6

0.9 %

 Elixhauser comorbidities

  Congestive heart failure

97

21.5 %

209

30.4 %

0.222

  Valvular disease

30

6.6 %

53

7.7 %

0.746

  Pulmonary circulation disease

26

5.8 %

62

9.0 %

0.306

  Peripheral vascular disease

51

11.3 %

82

11.9 %

0.322

  Paralysis

85

18.8 %

176

25.6 %

0.448

  Other neurological disorders

82

18.1 %

185

26.9 %

0.133

  Chronic pulmonary disease

164

36.3 %

305

44.4 %

0.786

  Diabetes without chronic complications

105

23.2 %

241

35.1 %

0.049

  Diabetes with chronic complications

38

8.4 %

56

8.2 %

0.208

  Hypothyroidism

49

10.8 %

119

17.3 %

0.113

  Renal failure

107

23.7 %

217

31.6 %

0.501

  Liver disease

17

3.8 %

27

3.9 %

0.557

  Peptic ulcer disease with bleeding

0

0.0 %

0

0.0 %

1.000

  AIDS

0

0.0 %

0

0.0 %

1.000

  Lymphoma

2

0.4 %

10

1.5 %

0.236

  Metastatic cancer

24

5.3 %

17

2.5 %

0.001

  Solid tumor without metastasis

18

4.0 %

19

2.8 %

0.066

  Rheumatoid arthritis/collagen vascular

11

2.4 %

29

4.2 %

0.342

  Coagulopathy

58

12.8 %

83

12.1 %

0.077

  Obesity

48

10.6 %

128

18.6 %

0.027

  Weight loss

94

20.8 %

250

36.4 %

0.001

  Fluid and electrolyte disorders

219

48.5 %

393

57.2 %

0.322

  Chronic blood loss anemia

5

1.1 %

9

1.3 %

0.924

  Deficiency anemia

173

38.3 %

363

52.8 %

0.127

  Alcohol abuse

18

4.0 %

24

3.5 %

0.246

  Drug abuse

16

3.5 %

19

2.8 %

0.157

  Psychosis

22

4.9 %

45

6.6 %

0.765

  Depression

50

11.1 %

96

14.0 %

0.941

  Hypertension

215

47.6 %

413

60.1 %

0.821

 Charlson comorbidity score

  0

72

19.0 %

164

22.8 %

0.152

  1

108

28.5 %

177

24.6 %

  2

64

16.9 %

151

21.0 %

  3

62

16.4 %

108

15.0 %

  4

34

9.0 %

66

9.2 %

  5+

39

10.3 %

53

7.4 %

  Mean (SD)

2.2 (2.2)

2.0 (1.9)

0.043

  Median [IQR]

2 [1–3]

2 [1–3]

0.202

Infection characteristics and treatments

 Infection characteristics

  Sepsis

296

78.1 %

525

73.0 %

0.065

  Pneumonia

83

21.9 %

194

27.0 %

  HCA

222

58.6 %

464

64.5 %

0.053

  MDR-AB

217

57.3 %

693

96.4 %

< 0.001

 Illness severity

  ICU admission

249

65.7 %

482

67.0 %

0.655

  Mechanical ventilation

206

54.4 %

390

54.2 %

0.972

  Vasopressors

64

16.9 %

121

16.8 %

0.981

 Antibiotics administered

  Antipseudomonal penicillins with β-lactamase inhibitor

91

24.0 %

123

17.1 %

0.006

  Antipseudomonal fluoroquinolones

97

25.6 %

209

29.1 %

0.222

  Extended-spectrum cephalosporins

177

46.7 %

339

47.1 %

0.888

  Antipseudomonal carbapenems

190

50.1 %

350

48.7 %

0.647

  Aminoglycosides

140

36.9 %

269

37.4 %

0.877

  Penicillins with β-lactamase inhibitors

5

1.3 %

9

1.3 %

0.924

  Polymyxins

12

3.2 %

9

1.3 %

0.028

  Folate pathway inhibitors

7

1.8 %

23

3.2 %

0.191

  Tetracyclines

1

0.3 %

4

0.6 %

0.665

Hospital characteristics

 U.S. region

  Midwest

118

31.1 %

234

32.5 %

< 0.001

  Northeast

60

15.8 %

91

12.7 %

  South

167

44.1 %

254

35.3 %

  West

34

9.0 %

140

19.5 %

 Number of beds

   < 200

41

10.8 %

78

10.8 %

0.011

  200–299

65

17.2 %

165

22.9 %

  300–499

143

37.7 %

292

40.6 %

  500+

130

34.3 %

184

25.6 %

 Teaching

212

55.9 %

292

40.6 %

< 0.001

 Urban

357

94.2 %

696

96.8 %

0.038

 Hospital mortality

63

16.6 %

170

23.6 %

0.007