Table 2.
Characteristics at randomization of patients who responded to at least one of the questionnaires.
| HES 130/0.42 (n = 98) |
Ringer's acetate (n = 92) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Time to follow-up - months | 13 (9-17) | 14 (10-18) |
| Age - years | 66 (59-74) | 66 (58-75) |
| Male gender - no. (%) | 52 (53) | 53 (58) |
| Included at university hospital - no. (%) | 35 (36) | 36 (39) |
| Surgery1 - no. (%) | ||
| Emergency | 31 (32) | 33 (36) |
| Elective | 7 (7) | 17 (18) |
| Source of ICU admittance - no. (%) | ||
| Emergency department | 32 (33) | 21 (23) |
| General ward | 40 (41) | 39 (42) |
| Operating or recovery room | 17 (17) | 21 (23) |
| Other ICU in the same hospital | 2 (2) | 2 (2) |
| Other hospital | 7 (7) | 9 (10) |
| Source of sepsis2 - no. (%) | ||
| Lungs | 42 (43) | 38 (41) |
| Abdomen | 40 (41) | 33 (36) |
| Urinary tract | 13 (13) | 13 (14) |
| Soft tissue | 9 (9) | 14 (15) |
| Other | 10 (10) | 12 (13) |
| Positive culture from blood or a sterile site - no. (%) | 17 (17) | 11 (12) |
| Time from ICU admission to randomization - hours | 3 (1-11) | 3 (1-14) |
| SAPS II | 48 (36-58) | 50 (38-59) |
| SOFA score3 | 7 (5-9) | 7 (5-9) |
| Shock4 - no. (%) | 80 (82) | 80 (87) |
| Acute kidney injury5 - no. (%) | 36 (37) | 35 (38) |
| Mechanical ventilation - no. (%) | 44 (45) | 54 (59) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Diabetes mellitus - no. (%) | 12 (12) | 16 (17) |
| Arterial hypertension - no. (%) | 42 (43) | 39 (42) |
| Chronic renal disease6 - no. (%) | 9 (10) | 14 (17) |
| Hematological malignancy - no. (%) | 6 (6) | 9 (10) |
| Previous admission for - no. (%) | ||
| Heart failure or myocardial infarction | 10 (10) | 12 (13) |
| Stroke | 7 (7) | 6 (7) |
| Asthma or COPD | 12 (12) | 12 (13) |
| Any ventilation in the ICU, n (%) | 71 (72) | 72 (78) |
| Days in ventilator if treated, median (IQR) | 6 (3-14) | 5 (3-12) |
| Any renal replacement therapy dialysis in the ICU, n (%) | 18 (18) | 15 (16) |
| Days in renal replacement therapy if treated, median (IQR) | 7 (3-22) | 10 (6-22) |
| Days in ICU, median (IQR) | 6 (3-14) | 8 (4-14) |
| Days in hospital in the 90 days follow-up period, median (IQR) | 32 (20-50) | 30 (20-53) |
1Numbers are for patients who underwent surgery during the index hospitalization, but before randomization. 2Some patients had more than one source of infection. The 'other' category included sepsis from a vascular catheter-related infection, meningitis, or endocarditis, as well as sepsis from unknown sources. 3The SOFA scoring was modified because cerebral failure was not assessed. 4Shock at randomization was defined as a mean arterial pressure of less than 70 mm Hg, the need for ongoing treatment with vasopressor or inotropic agents, or a plasma lactate level of more than 4.0 mmol per liter in the hour before randomization. 5Acute kidney injury was defined as a renal SOFA score of 2 or higher (plasma creatinine level > 170 μmol/l (1.9 mg/dl) or urinary output < 500 ml/d). 6Chronic renal disease was defined as a preadmission plasma creatinine > 100 μmol/l (1.2 mg/dl). HES, hydroxyethyl starch; SAPS, simplified acute physiology score; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment, COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; IQR, interquartile range.