Question

Procalcitonin (PCT) is used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis and is also used to guide antibiotic therapy. PCT levels (ng/mL) parallel the severity of bacterial infection. Consequently, low PCT levels indicate no bacterial infection while high PCT levels indicate mild to severe bacterial infection. A researcher was interested in studying the relationship patient sex (Female vs. Male) and/or physician diagnosis for the patient (TSS Diagnosed vs. TSS Not Diagnosed) has with average PCT levels. With this additional study objective in mind, PCT levels (ng/mL) were recorded for all 914 TSS patients summarized in Table 1 of Mar. 29 Question 1.

Use this information to answer the remaining questions.

1. Describe the following data, which was recorded during the study, as Categorical (also indicating nominal, binary/dichotomous, or ordinal) or Quantitative (also indicating discrete or continuous).

   o Patient Sex (Female vs. Male)
   o Physician Diagnosis (TSS Diagnosed vs. TSS Not Diagnosed) o PCT Level (ng/mL)

2. What type of statistical test would be appropriate to address the researcher’s study objective? (i.e., what type of statistical test would be appropriate to investigate the relationship that patient sex and/or physician diagnosis for the patient has on average PCT levels?)

3. Given the cell sample sizes and previous analyses conducted for the Mar. 29 Question 1, would the researcher encounter a problem trying to utilize the statistical test deemed appropriate (i.e., your answer to part b)? Why or why not? Explain.

Answer 1

stuae dichelomous tye Tt is quantalive data itu