Sensitivity, specificity, PPVs* and NPVs† for significant bacterial infection of cut-offs defined by temperature–pulse and pulse centiles and by tachycardia
| Percentage sensitivity (95% CI) | Percentage specificity (95% CI) | Percentage PPV* (95% CI) | Percentage NPV† (95% CI) | Percentage LR+‡ (95% CI) | Percentage LR–§ (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age-specific temperature–pulse centiles | ||||||
| Above 97th centile | 13.7 (5.7 to 26.3) | 89.4 (87.5 to 91.1) | 5.3 (2.2 to 10.6) | 96.0 (94.6 to 97.1) | 1.4 (0.69 to 2.7) | 0.96 (0.48 to 1.9) |
| Above 90th centile | 21.6 (11.3 to 35.3) | 80.0 (77.6 to 82.3) | 4.5 (2.3 to 7.9) | 95.9 (94.5 to 97.1) | 1.2 (0.76 to 1.8) | 0.96 (0.63 to 1.5) |
| Above 75th centile | 43.1 (29.3 to 57.8) | 61.7 (58.8 to 64.5) | 4.7 (2.9 to 7.0) | 96.2 (94.5 to 97.4) | 1.2 (0.58 to 2.3) | 0.90 (0.45 to 1.8) |
| Above 50th centile | 74.5 (60.4 to 85.7) | 36.2 (33.4 to 39.0) | 4.8 (3.4 to 6.6) | 97.0 (95.0 to 98.4) | 1.1 (0.50 to 2.6) | 0.75 (0.33 to 1.7) |
| Age-specific pulse centiles | ||||||
| Above 97th centile | 2.0 (0.04 to 10.4) | 97.7 (96.7 to 98.5) | 3.6 (0.1 to 18.3) | 95.8 (94.5 to 96.9) | 2.7 (2.2 to 3.4) | 0.96 (0.76 to 1.2) |
| Above 90th centile | 21.6 (11.3 to 35.3) | 90.8 (89.0 to 92.4) | 9.2 (4.7 to 15.9) | 96.4 (95.1 to 97.4) | 2.4 (1.6 to 3.7) | 0.86 (0.57 to 1.3) |
| Above 75th centile | 45.1 (31.1 to 59.7) | 75.7 (73.1 to 78.1) | 7.2 (4.6 to 10.7) | 96.9 (95.6 to 97.9) | 1.7 (0.84 to 3.3) | 0.78 (0.40 to 1.5) |
| Above 50th centile | 72.5 (58.3 to 84.1) | 48.6 (45.7 to 51.5) | 5.8 (4.1 to 7.9) | 97.6 (96.0 to 98.7) | 1.3 (0.58 to 3.1) | 0.64 (0.28 to 1.5) |
| Tachycardia | 66.7 (52.1 to 79.2) | 59.2 (56.3 to 62.0) | 6.6 (4.6 to 9.1) | 97.6 (96.2 to 98.6) | 1.5 (0.67 to 3.4) | 0.65 (0.29 to 1.46) |
* PPV, positive predictive value (predictive value of a positive test).
† NPV, negative predictive value (predictive value of a negative test).
‡ LR+, likelihood ratio of a positive test.
§ LR–, likelihood ratio of a negative test.