Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v. 15.0 for Windows.
Categorical variables were given as numbers and percentages. The
conformance of continuous data to a normal distribution was evaluated
using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The independent t-test was used for the
comparison of groups with a normal distribution, and the Mann-Whitney U
test was used for the comparison of groups that did not comply with a
normal distribution. In the comparison of categorical variables, the
Pearson chi-square and exact tests were used as appropriate. Parameters
with a possible predictive value associated with EPE and positive SM
were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression
analyses. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically
significant.