2.2 Definitions
The definition of mastitis was adopted with widely accepted criteria:
the presence of inflammatory characteristics including localized
redness, swelling, heat and pain in the breast accompanied by a
temperature of 38.5oC or greater, chills, flu-like
aches, and systemic illness.11 Treatment outcomes were
extracted from the medical records. Treatment failures were determined
when there were any of the following situations: (1) deterioration of
signs or symptoms; (2) an emerging breast abscess; or (3) switching to a
new antibiotic or changing the initial antibiotic. SLCs from routine
blood tests were collected at first presentation, and patients were
classified into three groups based on the levels of leukocyte counts: 31
patients had a normal leukocyte count (NLC, <1.0×10^9
cells/L); 111 patients had a slightly elevated leukocyte count (SELC,
1.0-1.5×10^9 cells/L); and 156 patients had a markedly elevated
leukocyte count (MELC, >1.5×10^9 cells/L). Patients were
further divided into subgroups according to the use of antibiotics. The
number of patients in the NLC group was small; therefore, in the current
study, we explored the value of SLCs in patients with elevated leukocyte
counts, including patients with SELCs and MELCs.