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. 2023 Mar 9;51(4):1103–1115. doi: 10.1007/s15010-023-02013-y

Table 3.

Admission resulting in hospital death

All Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3
N = 315 (100%) N = 229 (73%) N = 47 (15%) N = 39 (12%)
Emergency admission 292 (93%) 214 (93%) 43 (91%) 35 (90%)
Planned admission 26 (7%) 15 (7%) 4 (9%) 4 (10%)
Medical 236 (75%) 172 (75%) 35 (75%) 29 (74%)
Surgical 59 (19%) 42 (18%) 8 (17%) 9 (23%)
Neurology 12 (4%) 10 (4%) 2 (4%) 0
Orthopedic surgery 7 (2%) 5 (2%) 2 (4%) 0
Gynecology 0 0 0 0
Ear–nose–throat 1 (0%) 0 0 1 (3%)
Infection present at admission 219 (70%) 157 (69%) 35 (74%) 27 (69%)
Infection acquired during admission 96 (30%) 72 (31%) 12 (26%) 12 (31%)
Site of infection
Airways 172 (55%) 127 (55%) 24 (51%) 21 (54%)
Aspiration pneumonia 29 (9%) 20 (9%) 5 (11%) 4 (10%)
Skin or soft tissue 7 (2%) 5 (2%) 2 (4%) 0
Urinary tract 18 (6%) 16 (7%) 1 (2%) 1 (3%)
Abdominal 25 (8%) 15 (7%) 6 (13%) 4 (10%)
Unknown 83 (26%) 62 (27%) 11 (23%) 10 (26%)
Foreign body, e.g., pacemaker 1 (0%) 1 (0%) 0 0
Central nervous system 2 (1%) 0 1 (2%) 1 (3%)
Other, e.g., endocarditis 7 (2%) 3 (1%) 2 (4%) 2 (5%)
Infection following a procedure
Most likely 17 (5%) 9 (4%) 3 (6%) 5 (13%)
Possibly 22 (7%) 15 (7%) 6 (13%) 1 (3%)
Highest level of care
Ward 102 (32%) 93 (40%) 9 (19%) 0
Intermediate ICU 145 (46%) 112 (49%) 21 (45%) 12 (31%)
ICU 67 (21%) 23 (10%) 17 (36%) 27 (70%)
ED 1 (0%) 1 (0%) 0 0
LOS 6 (10) 6 (8) 7 (11) 11 (16)
LOS intermediate ICU, if any 2 (3) 2 (3) 4 (7) 4 (11.5)
LOS ICU, if any 7 (16) 4 (6) 6 (11) 14 (16)
DNA-CPR prior to admission 58 (18%) 54 (24%) 4 (9%) 0
 DNA-CPR during admission 240 (76%) 170 (74%) 36 (76%) 32 (82%)
Patient declined further treatment 20 (6%) 13 (6%) 3 (7%) 4 (10%)
Location at death
Ward 179 (57%) 152 (66%) 22 (47%) 5 (13%)
Intermediate ICU 84 (27%) 61 (27%) 13 (28%) 10 (26%)
ICU 49 (16%) 14 (6%) 11 (23%) 24 (62%)
ED 1 (0%) 1 (0%) 0 0
Radiology 2 (1%) 1 (0%) 1 (2%) 0
QSOFA in ED ≥ 2, if infection at admission 83 (38%) 59 (38%) 18 (51%) 7 (26%)
Rise in SOFA score ≥ 2, ± 24 h. From suspicion of infection 219 (70%) 150 (66%) 37 (79%) 32 (82%)
If community acquired infection 161 (74%) 109 (69%) 28 (80%) 24 (89%)
If hospital acquired infection 58 (60%) 41 (57%) 9 (75%) 8 (66%)
If likely sepsis-related death 149 (82%) 100 (80%) 25 (86%) 23 (92%)
Sepsis-related death (very likely and likely) 179 (57%) 125 (55%) 29 (62%) 25 (64%)
Possibly sepsis-related death (credible and not excludable) 136 (43%) 104 (45%) 18 (38%) 14 (36%)

Values are number (proportion) or median (IQR). Cluster 1: Age ≥ 85, CFS ≥ 7 or end-stage condition. Cluster 2: Age ≥ 80, CFS 6 or CCI ≥ 5. Cluster 3: Neither cluster 1 nor cluster 2

SOFA sequential organ failure assessment, qSOFA quick SOFA, ED emergency department, LOS length of stay, ICU intensive-care unit, DNA-CPR do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ECMO extracorporeal membrane oxygenation