Table 3 Performance of the screening models with respect to identification of sepsis

Total score considered positive for predicted sepsis

 ≥ 5

 ≥ 7

RETTS ≥ orange

RETTS red

Clinical judgment sepsis by ambulance personnel

 ≥ 2

 ≥ 2

 ≥ 2

Sensitivity^a

(95%CI)

0.74 (0.65–0.80)

0.58 (0.50–0.66)

0.83 (0.75–0.88)

0.23 (0.17–0.31)

0.40 (0.32–0.49)

0.90 (0.84–0.94)

0.87 (0.80–0.92)

0.91 (0.85–0.95)

Specificity^a

(95%CI)

0.61 (0.53–0.68)

0.78 (0.71–0.84)

0.45 (0.38–0.53)

0.92 (0.86–0.95)

0.74 (0.67–0.80)

0.42 (0.35–0.50)

0.49 (0.41–0.56)

0.39 (0.32–0.47)

PPV^a

(95%CI)

0.60 (0.53–0.67)

0.68 (0.59–0.76)

0.55 (0.48–0.62)

0.69 (0.54–0.81)

0.55 (0.45–0.65)

0.56 (0.49–0.62)

0.58 (0.51–0.64)

0.55 (0.48–0.61)

NPV^a

(95%CI)

0.74 (0.66–0.81)

0.70 (0.63–0.76)

0.76 (0.67–0.84)

0.60 (0.54–0.65)

0.61 (0.54–0.67)

0.84 (0.75–0.91)

0.82 (0.73–0.89)

0.84 (0.74–0.91)

Pos LR^a

(95%CI)

1.88 (1.53–2.32)

2.68 (1.96–3.65)

1.51 (1.30–1.76)

2.73 (1.55–4.83)

1.53 (1.12–2.10)

1.55 (1.36–1.78)

1.69 (1.44–1.97)

1.49 (1.31–1.70)

Neg LR^a

(95%CI)

0.43 (0.33–0.57)

0.53 (0.44–0.65)

0.38 (0.27–0.56)

0.84 (0.77–0.92)

0.81 (0.71–0.93)

0.23 (0.14–0.39)

0.27 (0.18–0.42)

0.23 (0.14–0.39)

AUC^a for the model without cut-off-based on sum of scores

(95%CI)

0.73 (0.68–0.79)

0.73 (0.68–0.79)

not possible to calculate

not possible to calculate

not possible to calculate

0.77 (0.72–0.82)

0.75 (0.70–0.80)

0.77 (0.71–0.82)

AUC^a for the model with specific cut–off

0.67 (0.61–0.73)

0.68 (0.62–0.74)

0.64 (0.58–0.70)

0.57 (0.51–0.64)

0.57 (0.51–0.63)

0.66 (0.60–0.72)

0.68 (0.62–0.74)

0.65 (0.59–0.71)