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Table 2 Campylobacter PCR positive-culture negative vs Campylobacter PCR positive-culture positive

From: Experiences from multiplex PCR diagnostics of faeces in hospitalised patients: clinical significance of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and culture negative campylobacter

Multiplex PCR result

PCR positive-culture negative

N = 55 b

PCR positive-culture positive

N = 114

Campylobacter detected(all)

N = 169

Sex (male) [n (%)]

29 (53)

58 (51)

87 (51)

Age years [mean(SD)]

61 (21)

50 (16)

53 (19)

Other characteristics [%, (95% CI)]

 Ongoing antibiotic treatment

24 (13–37)

2.6 (0.5–7.5)

9.5 (5.5–15)

 Co-infection

18 (9.1–31)

1.7 (0.21–6.1)

7.1 (3.7–12)

 No diarrhoea

9.0 (3.0–20)

0.88 (0.02–4.8)

4.7 (2.7–9.9)

 Ongoing chemotherapy

5.4 (1.1–15)

2.6 (0.54–7.5)

3.5 (1.3–7.6)

 Travel associated

16 (7.8–29)

45 (35–54)

35 (28–43)

Clinical diagnosis [%, (95% CI)]

 Clinical non-infectious cause of diarrhoea

48 (34–63)

4.4 (1.4–10)

17 (11–23)a

  1. aA total of 6 patients did not present with diarrhoea and are excluded from these analyses
  2. b47 of 55 were sequenced as various Campylobacter spp., 29 as Campylobacter concisus (see Fig. 2)