Table 1.
Characteristics of patients enrolled in the present study
| All patients (n = 76) | Survivors (n = 56) | Nonsurvivors (n = 20) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 55 (19) | 52 (19) | 62 (16) | 0.04 |
| Sex, male, n | 52 | 40 | 12 | 0.345 |
| Admission, n | ||||
| Surgical | 27 | 20 | 7 | 0.954 |
| Clinical | 49 | 36 | 13 | |
| Origin, n | ||||
| Ward | 34 | 22 | 12 | 0.181 |
| Emergency room | 42 | 34 | 8 | |
| Sepsis, during ICU stay, n | 39 | 23 | 16 | 0.003 |
| APACHE II score, points, mean (SD) | 19 (8) | 18 (8) | 20 (8) | 0.319 |
| SOFA admission, points, mean (SD) | 6.6 (4.0) | 6.0 (3.4) | 8.3 (4.7) | 0.03 |
| Mechanical ventilation during ICU stay, n | 46 | 29 | 17 | 0.008 |
| Sedation during ICU stay, n | 50 | 32 | 18 | 0.008 |
| Vasopressor need during ICU stay, n | 31 | 21 | 10 | 0.329 |
| BDNF D0 mean (SD) | 4,831 (3,366) | 6,861 (2,764) | 5,736 (2,951) | 0.129 |
| BDNF D2, mean (SD) | 5,865 (2,661) | 6,741 (2,356) | 3,413 (1,813) | < 0.0001 |
| % variation BDNF, n | ||||
| Decrease | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0.001 |
| No change/increase | 57 | 48 | 9 |
APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score; BDNF D0, brain-derived neurotrophic factor collected within 12 hours of enrollment; BDNF D2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor collected 48 hours after intensive care admission; ICU, intensive care unit; SD, standard deviation; sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock; SOFA, sequential organ-failure assessment.