Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025
Dispatch
Acute Q Fever Patients Requiring Intensive Care Unit Support in Tropical Australia, 2015–2023
Cody Price1, Simon Smith, Jim Stewart, and Josh Hanson
Table 2
Laboratory findings when patients were first seen in study of acute Q fever infections requiring intensive care unit support in tropical Australia, 2015–2023*
| Variable | No. patients with data† | All patients, n = 127 | Required ICU admission, n = 9 | ICU admission not required, n = 118 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 127 | 144 (133–155) | 157 (133–163) | 144 (133–154) | 0.21 |
| Leukocyte count, × 109 cells/L | 127 | 5.4 (4.0–6.9) | 6.1 (5.4–7.7) | 5.3 (4.0–6.8) | 0.08 |
| Neutrophil count, × 109 cells/L | 127 | 3.9 (2.7–5.2) | 4.8 (4.1–5.9) | 3.7 (2.5–5.0) | 0.04 |
| Platelet count, × 109/L | 137 | 120 (83–165) | 93 (46–148) | 121 (85–166) | 0.14 |
| Sodium, mmol/L | 127 | 132 (130–135) | 125 (125–133) | 132 (130–135) | 0.02 |
| Potassium, mmol/L | 127 | 3.9 (3.6–4.1) | 4.0 (3.6–4.1) | 3.9 (3.6–4.2) | 0.74 |
| Creatinine, μmol/L | 127 | 84 (71–98) | 86 (75–103) | 84 (71–97) | 0.51 |
| Alanine aminotransferase, IU/L | 127 | 103 (64–175) | 125 (53–162) | 102 (64–177) | 0.97 |
| Aspartate aminotransferase, IU/L | 127 | 102 (71–167) | 164 (56–251) | 101 (72–165) | 0.31 |
| Total bilirubin, μmol/L | 127 | 16 (10–22) | 20 (16–58) | 16 (10–22) | 0.07 |
| Serum alkaline phosphatase, IU/L | 127 | 91 (70–149) | 124 (93–172) | 88 (68–148) | 0.06 |
| Gamma-glutamyl transferase, IU/L | 127 | 78 (36–164) | 107 (48–272) | 75 (36–152) | 0.33 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase, IU/L | 124 | 456 (364–604) | 394 (356–673) | 456 (362–593) | 0.94 |
| Prothrombin time, s | 47 | 14 (12–15) | 15 (13–17) | 13 (12–15) | 0.17 |
| Activated partial thromboplastin time, s | 46 | 32 (29–36) | 35 (29–40) | 31 (29–36) | 0.30 |
| Fibrinogen, g/L | 46 | 4.1 (3.2–4.8) | 3.6 (2.6–4.6) | 4.2 (3.4–4.8) | 0.13 |
| Ferritin, μg/L | 19 | 1,160 (835–2,065) | 5,340 (2,260–8,420) | 1,035 (752–1,678) | 0.07 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L | 115 | 133 (84–180) | 158 (61–236) | 132 (85–179) | 0.64 |
*Values are median (interquartile range) except as indicated. p values compare the number of patients requiring ICU admission with the number of patients not requiring ICU admission for each variable. IU, international units. †The retrospective nature of the study precluded the collection of complete data for all cases.
1Current affiliation: Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
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