We, the authors of the original article, have decided not to implement the statistical method ‘penalization via data augmentation’ to our study, as suggested by Erfan Ayubi and Saeid Safiri. We have investigated whether this method could generate a valid odds ratio (OR) regarding corticosteroid use (as a risk factor); unfortunately, we would have to assume unreal data before applying the method, as we need a tentative OR a priori. The necessary data are currently unavailable, as we found this association incidentally.
By using penalization via data augmentation, we obtained an OR of 2.17 (95% confidence interval 0.75–6.28) assuming a tentative OR of 1. However, as we have already stated, this analysis uses data that may not be real.
We opt not to assume tentative data that may not be real, and as such we do not agree that the application of penalization via data augmentation is a way to justify the result found in our study. As stated in the Discussion section of the article: “the confidence interval (2.39–246.92) shows that the design of this study was not adequate for correctly evaluating chronic corticosteroid use. As such, a study with a larger sample size is necessary to verify the relevance of this risk factor.” In this way, we stand by our findings so as to raise concerns in order to motivate further studies.
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Published online: November 13, 2017
Received:
November 5,
2017
Corresponding Editor: Eskild Petersen, Aarhus, DenmarkIdentification
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© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.
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- Worrisome high frequency of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in community-acquired urinary tract infections: A case–control study; methodological issuesInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 66
- PreviewWe read with interest the valuable article by Castillo-Tokumori and colleagues published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Castillo-Tokumori et al., 2017). The authors aimed to describe community-acquired urinary tract infections (CA-UTI) caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and its risk factors. They conducted a case–control study involving 67 patients with ESBL and 105 patients with non-ESBL E. coli CA-UTI. The authors found that chronic corticosteroid use was significantly associated with ESBL CA-UTI, which is problematic.
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