Evaluation of a real-time PCR assay for detection and quantification of bacterial DNA directly in blood of preterm neonates with suspected late-onset sepsis

Table 1 Summary of study population

Characteristics	Data
Characteristics of neonates^a (N = 77)
Sex, male	39 (51)
Gestational age, weeks	28.1 (26.5–29.5)
Birth weight, g	1080 (775–1235)
Duration of hospitalization, days	33 (20–53)
Outcome, died	8 (10)
Clinical characteristics of included episodes (N = 91)
Age at onset of symptoms, days	10 (7–15)
Weight at onset of symptoms, g	1087 (870–1310)^b
CRP (mg/L)	12 (2.4–34)^c
White blood cell count (×10⁹/L)	13.2 (7.7–20.6)^c
Blood culture positive	60 (66)
CoNS	47
Staphylococcus aureus	11
Streptococcus agalactiae	1
Enterococcus faecalis	1
Escherichia coli	2
Klebsiella spp.	1
Lactobacillus spp.	1
Cerebrospinal fluid, obtained/positive	51/5 (6)
Polymicrobial infection	7 (8)
Duration of antibiotic treatment, days	7 (3–11)
Diagnosis
Culture-proven sepsis	57 (63)
Clinical sepsis	4 (4)
Localized infection	9 (10)
No infection	21 (23)
Blood culture TTP	14 (11–19)

Abbreviations: CoNS Coagulase-negative staphylococci, CRP C-reactive protein, TTP Time to positivity
^aContinuous variables are presented as median (25–75% interquartile range). Categorical variables are presented as number (percent)
^bData missing for two infection episodes
^cData missing for one infection episode

ISSN: 1364-8535