TABLE 2.
Characteristics of patients who were candidates for invasive procedures.
| All patients N = 127 |
Patients treated with high‐flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy N = 94 |
Patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation N = 33 |
P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics | ||||
| Sex (male) | 89 (70.1%) | 66 (70.2%) | 23 (69.7%) | 1.000 |
| Mean age | 63.0 [55.0;70.0] | 62.0 [52.0;69.8] | 64.0 [59.0;70.0] | 0.172 |
| Mean body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.9 [25.0;31.1] | 27.5 [25.0;30.9] | 28.3 [25.7;31.7] | 0.415 |
| Active smoking | 6 (4.72%) | 3 (3.19%) | 3 (9.09%) | 0.424 |
| Alcohol abuse | 20 (15.7%) | 13 (13.8%) | 7 (21.2%) | 0.110 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Hypertension | 48 (37.8%) | 31 (33%) | 17 (51.5%) | 0.093 |
| Dyslipidaemia | 51 (40.2%) | 38 (40.4%) | 13 (39.4%) | 1.000 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 26 (20.5%) | 18 (19.1%) | 8 (24.2%) | 0.709 |
| Heart disease | 10 (7.87%) | 8 (8.51%) | 2 (6.06%) | 1.000 |
| Lung disease | 22 (17.3%) | 16 (17%) | 6 (18.2%) | 1.000 |
| Kidney disease | 10 (7.87%) | 5 (5.32%) | 5 (15.2%) | 0.125 |
| Liver disease | 9 (7.09%) | 5 (5.32%) | 4 (12.1%) | 0.237 |
| Usual treatment | ||||
| ACE inhibitors/ARBs | 35 (27.6%) | 21 (22.3%) | 14 (42.4%) | 0.046 |
| Statins | 39 (30.7%) | 28 (29.8%) | 11 (33.3%) | 0.872 |
| Anticoagulants | 11 (8.66%) | 8 (8.51%) | 3 (9.09%) | 1.000 |
| Platelet aggregation inhibitors | 18 (14.2%) | 13 (13.8%) | 5 (15.2%) | 1.000 |
| Oral corticosteroids | 6 (4.72%) | 1 (1.06%) | 5 (15.2%) | 0.005 |
| Clinical characteristics assessed in the emergency department | ||||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 125 [115;142] | 128 [116;144] | 120 [110;137] | 0.092 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 75.4 (11.3) | 76.1 (11.4) | 73.3 (11.0) | 0.230 |
| Body temperature (°C) | 37.1 (0.91) | 37.1 (0.93) | 37.2 (0.85) | 0.490 |
| Respiratory rate (rpm) | 16.0 [16.0;22.0] | 16.0 [16.0;22.0] | 16.0 [15.0;22.0] | 0.932 |
| Heart rate (lpm) | 93.5 (15.9) | 92.6 (14.9) | 96.3 (18.2) | 0.292 |
| Mean oxygen saturation (%) | 94.0 [91.0;96.0] | 94.0 [91.0;96.0] | 94.0 [91.0;96.0] | 0.726 |
| Blood test results | ||||
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | ||||
| In the ED | 0.91 [0.76;1.10] | 0.90 [0.74;1.06] | 1.04 [0.88;1.39] | 0.003 |
| At therapy initiation | 0.81 [0.67;0.97] | 0.78 [0.65;0.92] | 0.95 [0.74;1.24] | 0.003 |
| C‐reactive protein (mg/L) | ||||
| In the ED | 95.2 [52.7;154] | 93.2 [45.2;157] | 101 [73.8;149] | 0.545 |
| At therapy initiation | 92.5 [49.8;150] | 91.2 [46.4;151] | 94.1 [56.0;149] | 0.733 |
| Procalcitonin (ng/mL) | ||||
| In the ED | 0.13[0.06;0.32] | 0.12[0.05;0.23] | 0.20[0.09;0,49] | 0.121 |
| At therapy initiation | 0.11 [0.06;0.18] | 0.09 [0.05;0.16] | 0.20 [0.10;0.49] | 0.004 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (U/L) | ||||
| In the ED | 342 [282;411] | 341 [272;392] | 361 [299;425] | 0.384 |
| At therapy initiation | 361 [304;442] | 356 [297;422] | 419 [329;476] | 0.008 |
| Ferritin (ng/mL) | ||||
| In the ED | 830 [404;1466] | 828 [372;1492] | 831 [457;1195] | 0.690 |
| At therapy initiation | 1036 [563;1739] | 1021 [550;1713] | 1086 [696;1730] | 0.601 |
| Lymphocytes/μL | ||||
| In the ED | 810 [650;1058] | 830 [660;1080] | 790 [630;1010] | 0.681 |
| At therapy initiation | 725 [542;955] | 760 [560;980] | 650 [520;890] | 0.176 |
| Platelets ×103/μL | ||||
| In the ED | 171 [135;221] | 175[136;233] | 156 [131;200] | 0.085 |
| At therapy initiation | 216 [168;302] | 244 [176;315] | 187 [155;216] | 0.001 |
| D‐dimer (ng/mL) | ||||
| In the ED | 620 [418;965] | 600 [370;952] | 675 [532;1025] | 0.315 |
| At therapy initiation | 630 [385;1215] | 600 [380;1085] | 720 [430;1255] | 0.814 |
| PO2/FIO2 at therapy initiation | 138 [103;160] | 140 [102;165] | 130 [108;148] | 0.504 |
| Duration of therapy | 6.00 [4.00;10.0] | 7.00 [5.00;11.0] | 3.00 [1.00;5.00] | <0.001 |
| CALL score | 10 [7.0;12.0] | 8.50[6.0;12.0] | 10[8.0;12.0] | 0.037 |
| Low CALL score (<7) | 22 (21,8%) | 21 (27,6%) | 1 (4%) | 0.028 |
| High CALL score (≥7) | 79 (78,2%) | 55 (72,4%) | 24 (96%) | |
| Hospital stay (days) | 19 [13.0;29.0] | 16[12.0;21.8] | 37 [27.0;52.0] | <0.001 |
| Death | 15 (11.8%) | 0 (0.00%) | 15 (45.5%) | <0.001 |
Notes: Data are expressed as mean (SD), median and interquartile range (IQR) and N (%). ‘Therapy’ refers to high‐flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy.
Abbreviations: ACE, angiotensin‐converting enzyme; ARBs, angiotensin II receptor blockers; ED, emergency department.