Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of the Patients
| Variable | Albumin (n=164) | Saline (n=157) |
|---|---|---|
| Age - years | 37.8±17.4 | 36.0±15.8 |
| Age>55 years (%) | 18.9 | 12.1 |
| Male (%) | 75.6 | 70.7 |
| Injury severity | ||
| APACHE II - median (IQR) | 21.0 (17–25) | 20.0 (16–24) |
| Abbreviated ISS | 29.8±10.2 | 29.4±10.3 |
| Physiological measures | ||
| Mean arterial pressure – mmHg | 82.3±12.9 | 84.8±14.2 |
| Heart rate – beats/min | 84.8±19.8 | 86.8±19.9 |
| Central venous pressure – mmHg | 7.2±3.2 | 7.1±3.2 |
| Serum albumin – g/L | 30.5±7.6 | 31.7±6.8 |
| Glasgow Coma Scores (GCS) | ||
| Median (IQR) | 6 (4–8) | 6 (4–8) |
| Motor score median (IQR) | 4 (2–5) | 4 (2–5) |
| GCS 3–8 (%) | 77.4 | 77.1 |
| GCS 9–12 (%) | 17.1 | 15.9 |
| GCS 12–13 (%) | 5.5 | 7.0 |
| CT Scan scores (Marshall et al., 1992) | ||
| Diffuse injury II (swelling) (%) | 42.1 | 42.7 |
| Diffuse injury III (cisternal compression) (%) | 14.6 | 16.6 |
| Diffuse Injury IV (midline shift) (%) | 4.9 | 3.8 |
| Non-evacuated mass lesion (%) | 25.6 | 23.6 |
| Evacuated mass lesion | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (%) | 47.0 | 47.1 |
| Intracranial pressure measurements | ||
| Pre-randomization ICP>20mmHg –n/N (%) | 11/108 (10.2) | 11/113 (9.7) |
| ICP on insertiona – mmHg | 15.0±12.9 | 12.5±7.2 |
Data are presented as mean±standard deviation, unless specified otherwise.
a
Includes some post-randomization measurements.
APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (Knaus et al., 1985); ISS, Injury severity score (Baker et al., 1974); GCS, Glasgow Coma Score; ICP, intracranial pressure; IQR, interquartile range.