Table 5.
Perioperative data for patients receiving inotrope or standard hospital practice. Values are median (interquartile range) unless stated otherwise
| Variable | Adrenaline group (n=46) | Dopexamine group (n=46) | Control group (n=46) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surgery type (No of patients): | |||
| Aortic surgery | 14 | 15 | 13 |
| Upper gastrointestingal malignancy | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| Other | 23 | 21 | 25 |
| Anaesthetic data: | |||
| Operation length (minutes) | 135 (75-190) | 130 (78-315) | 116 (70-145) |
| General anaesthesia only (No of patients) | 8 | 14 | 11 |
| General anaesthesia and epidural block (No of patients) | 38 | 32 | 35 |
| Total fluid given (ml) | 3025 (2000-4000) | 3375 (2200-4500) | 3500 (2500-4000) |
| Additional inotropes in theatre (No of patients) | 15 | 5 | 18 |
| POSSUM score: | |||
| Physiological component | 20 (17-24) | 20 (16-24) | 20 (16-24) |
| Operative component | 15 (11-20) | 17 (13-20) | 16 (12-17) |
| Total | 35 (32-39) | 37 (31-41) | 36 (32-39) |
| Postoperative location (No of patients): | |||
| Intensive care unit | 19 | 16 | 18 |
| High dependency unit | 26 | 30 | 12 |
| General ward | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| No intensive care or high dependency care | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Bed usage (days): | |||
| Total hospital bed use for group | 875 | 596 | 1008 |
| Intensive care unit or high dependency unit (No of patients) | 192 (46) | 152 (46) | 176 (32) |
| Intensive care unit or high dependency unit per patient | 4.2 | 3.3 | 5.5 |
| Per patient | 19 | 13 | 22 |