Table 1.
Demographics and baseline clinical data
| Early group (< 24 h) (n = 10) | Late group (> 24 h) (n = 11) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age (years) | 68 ± 10 | 64 ± 11 |
| Sex (F:M) | 5:5 | 3:8 |
| Time from symptoms to hospital admission (h) (median, range) | 4 (1–14) | 6 (2–336) |
| Time from symptoms to transfer to specialist centre (days) (median, range) | 1 (0–1) | 3 (2–60) |
| Subcutaneous emphysema | 60% | 18% |
| Pneumomediastinum on chest X-ray | 50% | 36% |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 115 ± 27 | 119 ± 19 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 93 ± 17 | 95 ± 14 |
| Respiratory rate (per min) | 29 ± 8 | 24 ± 6 |
| Temperature (°C) | 37.0 ± 0.9 | 36.9 ± 0.8 |
| Haemoglobin (g/dl) | 14.0 ± 1.6 | 13 ± 2.9 |
| Leukocyte count (×109/dl) | 9.5 ± 4.1 | 14.5 ± 10.1 |
| Urea (mmol/l) | 7.7 ± 1.9 | 9.3 ± 4.7 |
| Creatinine (μmol/l) | 103 ± 24 | 125 ± 73 |
| Arterial pH | 7.34 ± 0.03 | 7.36 ± 0.1 |
| Base deficit | 3.8 ± 2.2 | 4.8 ± 4.2 |