Anatomy of Hematologic System Related

Review Anatomy of Hematologic System related questions and content

A study is designed to investigate the rates of central line–associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) among pediatric hematology/oncology patients. Investigators wish to compare the length of stay (LOS) between subjects receiving three common central line types (totally implanted catheter [port], peripherally inserted central catheter [PICC], and tunneled externalized catheter [TEC]). It is discovered that LOS is not normally distributed. What is the appropriate test for comparing the LOS between patients receiving the three central line types?

  • A. Student's t test
  • B. ANOVA
  • C. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test
  • D. Kruskal-Wallis test
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Kruskal-Wallis test. This non-parametric test is used to compare the medians of three or more independent groups when the data is not normally distributed, as in this case with LOS. It is an extension of the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, which compares two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test assesses whether the medians of the groups are equal or different by ranking all observations, calculating the sum of ranks for each group, and then comparing these sums. It is appropriate here because it allows for comparison of central line types without assuming normality. The other choices (A: Student's t test and B: ANOVA) require the data to be normally distributed, which is not the case in this scenario. Choice C: Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test is for comparing two groups, not three or more.