Spine Infection Risk Calculation Heuristic Data Set I

Data: This is a database of 41 clinical variables (mostly dichotomous) collected non-consecutively and prospectively on 180 patients who presented to the emergency department with back/neck pain or radicular equivalent over a 6 year period in whom the physician was suspicious enough of spinal infection to order a CRP and/or MRI (or other advanced imaging) to definitively rule-in or rule-out infection. 180 patients were enrolled, 8 excluded, 43 spinal infections and 129 non-infected patients were identified. From this data a univariate analysis can be performed to identify history/physical exam/lab findings that differ significantly between patient groups having infection and No-infection. Definitions of historical variables and derivation of cut-off values for fever, CRP are provided in accompanying files as well as a univariate analysis of this data.