Table 1.
Characteristics of study population
| Type of characteristics | Patients |
P value (non-ICU versus ICU) |
||
| Overall (n = 100) |
Non-ICU (n = 39) |
ICU (n = 61) |
||
| Patient characteristics at index operation | ||||
| Age (years; mean ± SD) | 51.1 ± 14 | 46.7 ± 15 | 54.2 ± 13 | 0.011a |
| Male sex (% [n]) | 59% (60) | 51% (20) | 64% (39) | 0.21b |
| Comorbidity (% [n]) | 65% (66) | 67% (26) | 65% (40) | 0.91b |
| Use of any medication (% [n]) | 77% (78) | 82% (32) | 78% (46) | 0.62b |
| APACHE II score (mean ± SD) | 9.5 ± 5.2 | 8.2 ± 5 | 10.4 ± 5 | 0.037 |
| MPI score (mean ± SD) | 21.9 ± 7.4 | 20.0 ± 8 | 23.2 ± 7 | 0.036a |
| Disease and operative characteristics | ||||
| Aetiology of peritonitis (% [n]) | 0.29b | |||
| Perforation | 39% (39) | 42% (17) | 36% (22) | |
| Anastomotic leakage | 26% (26) | 25% (10) | 26% (16) | |
| Ischaemia | 5% (5) | - | 8% (5) | |
| Pancreatitis | 7% (7) | 2% (1) | 9% (6) | |
| Bile leakage | 7% (7) | 10% (4) | 4% (3) | |
| Abcess | 9% (9) | 7% (3) | 9% (6) | |
| Other | 7% (7) | 12% (4) | 4% (3) | |
| Origin of peritonitis (% [n]) | 0.28b | |||
| Colon | 36% (36) | 38% (15) | 34% (21) | |
| Small intestine | 25% (25) | 25% (10) | 25% (15) | |
| Pancreas | 13% (13) | 3% (1) | 20% (12) | |
| Appendix | 4% (4) | 5% (2) | 3% (2) | |
| Gall bladder | 4% (4) | 5% (2) | 3% (2) | |
| Stomach/duodenum | 6% (6) | 5% (2) | 7% (4) | |
| Other | 12% (12) | 21% (7) | 8% (5) | |
| Treatment strategy (% [n]) | 0.11b | |||
| On demand | 76% (77) | 85% (33) | 71% (43) | |
| Planned relaparotomy | 24% (24) | 15% (6) | 29% (18) | |
| Laparostomy (open abdomen) during admission (% [n]) | 25% (25) | 8% (3) | 36% (22) | 0.001b |
| Patients with = 1 relaparotomy (% [n]) | 59% (60) | 40% (16) | 72% (44) | 0.002b |
| Postoperative characteristics | ||||
| Days in hospital (median [25th to 75th percentile]) | 37.0 (21 to 55) | 27.0 (17 to 41) | 49.0 (27 to 73) | < 0.001a |
| Days in ICU (median [25th to 75th percentile])c | - | - | 16.0 (5 to 30) | NA |
| Patients mechanically ventilated (% [n])c | - | - | 89% (54) | n.a. |
| Days of mechanical ventilation (median [25th to 75th percentile])c | - | - | 11.0 (4 to 25) | n.a. |
| Complications (% [n]) | ||||
| Surgery related | 63% (67) | 58% (23) | 72% (44) | 0.17b |
| Sepsis related | 38% (38) | 8% (3) | 57% (35) | < 0.001b |
| Readmission to hospital (% [n]) | 14% (14) | 18%(7) | 12% (7) | 0.37a |
| Time since index operation | ||||
| Time of questionnaire receipt since index operation (months; median [min-max]) | 88.6 (49 to 127) | 88.4 (50 to 122) | 88.5 (49 to 127) | 0.99a |
aT-test or Mann-Whitney U-test. bPearson's or Fischer's exact χ2. cOnly patients who were admitted to the ICU (n = 61). APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; ICU, intensive care unit; MPI, Mannheim Peritonitis Scale; NA, not applicable; SD, standard deviation.