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Matching criteria in case-control studies on postoperative infections
M E Falagas1, E G Mourtzoukou, F Ntziora
1Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Marousi, Greece. m.falagas@aibs.gr
The Journal of Hospital Infection
|March 11, 2008
Summary
Matching in case-control studies for postoperative infections varies. Age and surgical procedure type are common matching criteria, but consistency could improve study validity.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Case-control studies frequently employ matching to mitigate confounding variables.
- Postoperative infections are a significant concern in healthcare, necessitating robust study designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review matching practices in case-control studies on postoperative infections.
- To identify commonly used matching variables and assess their frequency.
Main Methods:
- A literature search was conducted in PubMed up to August 2006.
- Forty-two case-control studies utilizing individual matching for postoperative infections were identified and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Age was the most frequent matching criterion (64.3%), followed by surgical procedure type (40.5%) and gender (33.3%).
- Other variables included time at risk (21.4%), operation date (21.4%), primary diagnosis (21.4%), surgeon (16.7%), and risk score (11.9%).
Conclusions:
- A diverse range of variables are used for matching in case-control studies of postoperative infections.
- Standardizing matching on surgical procedure type could enhance the internal validity of research in this area.
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