Table guidelines
A table should be clear on its own without context (self-explained, reduction of potential errors and confusion).
- Reduce clutter whereever possible
- Titles: [Important content] [outcomes (usually) ] [stratification] e.g.:
- Number (%) of cUTI cases according to certain socio-economical and clinical characteristics.
- Number and rates (per 1,000 admissions) for cUTI, cIAI and HAP by certain socio-economical and clinical characteristics.
- Adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the association between the receipt of inappropriate empiric antibacterial therapy and certain socio-economic and clinical characteristics by condition.
- Adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the association between the receipt of inappropriate empiric antibacterial therapy and admission to ICU after receiving antibiotics by condition and potential effect modifiers for 65+ patients
- Use a total column when applicable
- Avoid abbreviations (specify abbreviations in the footnote if needed)
- Precision of at most 1 decimal for ratios, e.g. 7.5 [unless the estimates are so precise it warrants extra decimals; e.g. 0.77777 (0.77776-0.77779)]; EXCEPT p-values, use 3 decimals (0.075) or <0.001
- Comma separate large numbers in groups of three, e.g. 123,456,789,000
- SAS format family: comma32.3
- Stata format family: %32.3fc
- Only use parentheses as brackets, e.g. (years)
- Use the most specific descriptions without duplications, eg:
- Instead of: 1 week (1-7 days) , 2 weeks (8-14 days), >2 weeks (>14 days)
- Use: 1-7 days, 8-14 days, >=15 days.
Specific epidemiology tables
- Descriptive table 1
- Column 1 = cases/exposed; column 2 = controls/unexposed
- Start with sociodemographic vars (gender [is applicable], age [group], residential, income, etc.)
- Balanced and sensible groups (based on context and distribition for study)
- Order vars logically (e.g., metformin, insulin, other anti-diabetc instead of metformin, vaccine status, insulin)
- Indent grouped variable under main group name (e.g. Age group, then indent 0-9, 10-19, etc. )
- Include total row/total column where applicable
- Descriptive table 2 in cohort studies
- Include rate denominator in title.
- Columns: # cases (outcomes), person-time, rates (95% CI) [, optionally rate ratio]