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Table 2 Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for optimal cut-off values of CRP and PCT level to differentiate viral from bacterial LRTI

From: C-reactive protein or procalcitonin combined with rhinorrhea for discrimination of viral from bacterial infections in hospitalized adults in non-intensive care units with lower respiratory tract infections

 

CRP cut-off level

PCT cut-off level

CRP and PCT cut-off level

 ≤ 22 mg/L alone

 ≤ 22 mg/L and Headache

 ≤ 22 mg/L and Rhinorrhea

 ≤ 0.18 ng/mL alone

 ≤ 0.18 ng/mL and Headache

 ≤ 0.18 ng/mL and Rhinorrhea

CRP ≤ 22 mg/L combined PCT ≤ 0.18 ng/mL and Rhinorrhea

Sensitivity

0.71 (0.64–0.78)

0.71 (0.64–0.78)

0.90 (0.85–0.95)

0.68 (0.60–0.76)

0.68 (0.60–0.76)

0.86 (0.80–0.92)

0.73 (0.66–0.80)

Specificity

0.77 (0.67–0.87)

0.77 (0.67–0.87)

0.63 (0.51–0.75)

0.78 (0.68–0.88)

0.78 (0.68–0.88)

0.61 (0.49–0.73)

0.88 (0.80–0.96)

PPV

0.87 (0.81–0.93)

0.87 (0.81–0.93)

0.84 (0.78–0.90)

0.88 (0.81–0.94)

0.88 (0.81–0.94)

0.83 (0.77–0.89)

0.93 (0.88–0.98)

NPV

0.54 (0.44–0.65)

0.54 (0.44–0.65)

0.73 (0.61–0.84)

0.52 (0.42–0.61)

0.52 (0.42–0.61)

0.65 (0.53–0.77)

0.59 (0.49–0.69)

AUC

0.74 (0.68–0.80)*

0.78 (0.71–0.84)

0.81 (0.75–0.87)**

0.73 (0.67–0.79)#

0.75 (0.69–0.82)

0.80 (0.74–0.86)##

0.86 (0.80–0.91)&

  1. **versus *p < 0.0001
  2. ##versus #p < 0.0001
  3. **versus &p = 0.0107
  4. ##versus &p = 0.020