Automated Detection of External Ventricular and Lumbar Drain-Related Meningitis Using Laboratory and Microbiology Results and Medication Data
2011

Automated Detection of Drain-Related Meningitis Using Clinical Data

Sample size: 537 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): van Mourik Maaike S. M., Groenwold Rolf H. H., Berkelbach van der Sprenkel Jan Willem, van Solinge Wouter W., Troelstra Annet, Bonten Marc J. M.

Primary Institution: University Medical Centre Utrecht

Hypothesis

Can a prediction model using routinely collected clinical data accurately detect drain-related meningitis?

Conclusion

The study developed a prediction model that can accurately quantify rates of drain-related meningitis using multi-source data.

Supporting Evidence

  • The model achieved 98.8% sensitivity and 87.9% specificity.
  • Discriminatory power of the model was excellent with an area under the ROC curve of 0.97.
  • The model reduced the number of manual chart reviews by 74.7% while identifying 98.8% of infections.

Takeaway

Doctors can use a computer program to find out if patients have a type of meningitis caused by drains, which saves time and helps catch infections better.

Methodology

Logistic regression was used to develop a model predicting the occurrence of drain-related meningitis based on clinical data.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to reliance on retrospective data and imputation of missing values.

Limitations

The model does not account for infections occurring after discharge unless the patient is readmitted.

Participant Demographics

Median age of participants was 58.5 years, with a mix of genders and a significant portion admitted to the ICU.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI 88.0% to 99.9%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0022846

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