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Table 1 Variable explanations

From: Temporal trends in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and medical coding of sepsis

Variable

Comment

Type

SIRS

Uses the Surviving Sepsis Campaign [3] definition of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. At least two vital sign measurements were required outside the range on a given calendar day (for each of the three vital signs: temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate).

Patient-level

Sepsis

Defined by one of the following ICD-9 codes: 995 · 91, 995 · 92, 785 · 52

Administrative

Sepsis (Angus)

Defined using the ICD-9 codes outlined in Angus et al., Crit Care Med. 2001;29 (7):1303–1310

Administrative

Sepsis (Dombrovskiy)

Defined using the ICD-9 codes outlined in Dombrovskiy et al., Crit Care Med. 2007;35 (5):1244–1250

Administrative

Sepsis

SIRS plus bacteremia (within a calendar day of SIRS event)

Patient-level

Severe sepsis

SIRS plus Hypotension (Systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, occurring within a calendar day of the SIRS event) + Bacteremia

Patient-level

SIRS plus hypotension

SIRS plus Hypotension

Patient-level

Any SIRS

SIRS on a single calendar day during the hospitalization

Patient-level

Multi-day SIRS

SIRS on 3 or more calendar days

Patient-level

Bacteremia

First positive blood culture within a calendar day of a SIRS event. Common skin contaminants were excluded (Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Micrococcus spp, Propionibacterium acnes, Bacillus spp, Corynebacterium spp.).

Patient-level