Table 1.
Patients' clinical characteristics and outcomesa
| Patient demographics, N = 102 (100%) | Data |
|---|---|
| Median age, yr (IQR) | 66 (51 to 78) |
| COPDb, n (%) | 39 (38%) |
| Chronic cardiac insufficiencyb, n (%) | 28 (27.5%) |
| Medical admission, n (%) | 71 (69.6%) |
| Median SAPS II at ICU admission (IQR) | 46 (38 to 55) |
| From admission to awakening (day 1) | |
| Septic shockc, n (%) | 53 (52%) |
| Median days with failure of ≥2 organsd, days (IQR) | 8 (7 to 11) |
| Median duration of mechanical ventilation, days (IQR) | 10.0 (8.0 to 14.0) |
| Mean blood glucose, mM/l (IQR) | 7.6 (6.9 to 8.8) |
| Use of vasopressors, n (%) | 77 (75%) |
| Use of corticosteroids, n (%) | 64 (63%) |
| Median corticosteroid dose, 103 g (IQR) | 1.0 (0 to 1.9) |
| Median delay from steroid administration to day 1, days (IQR) | 3.0 (1.0 to 8.0) |
| Use of NMBA, n (%) | 40 (39%) |
| At awakening (day 1, n = 86) | |
| Median SAPS II (IQR) | 30 (23 to 26) |
| After awakening | |
| Median ICU length of stay, days (IQR) | 23 (15 to 35) |
| ICU mortality, n (%) | 15 (15%) |
| In-hospital mortality, n (%) | 24 (24%) |
aIQR, interquartile range; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ICU, intensive care unit; SAPS II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II [15]; NMBA, neuromuscular blocking agent; bdiagnosis of COPD and chronic cardiac insufficiency were based on clinical history; cseptic shock was defined as the administration of catecholamines and a concomitant documented infection after exclusion of other causes of shock; drenal, hepatic, and hematological failure were defined according to the Organ Dysfunctions and/or Infection score [16].