Table 3. Clinical characteristics according to sodium bicarbonate administration after excluding patients with an initial bicarbonate >20 mEq/L and SOFA score <8.0 (n = 55).

Variable	Bicarbonate use	Non-use	p value
	(n = 46)	(n = 9)
Sex, male, no. (%)	33 (71.7)	6 (66.7)	0.710
Age, years	65.3±12.0	64.6±12.0	0.870
Initial pH	7.244±0.168	7.296±0.172	0.406
Initial bicarbonate (mEq/L)	12.3±3.7	13.1±3.1	0.548
Initial lactate (mg/dL)	91.6±42.1	77.9±35.9	0.366
Follow-up lactate (mg/dL)	86.5±50.7	51.2±28.3	0.142
Anion gap	22.4±7.0	19.2±5.6	0.192
Albumin (g/dL)	3.1±0.6	3.1±0.6	0.965
BUN (mg/dL)	47.5±25.2	51.6±19.3	0.787
Creatinine (mg/dL)	2.9±2.2	3.9±3.0	0.254
CRP (mg/dL)	12.3±11.5	10.1±8.7	0.594
Procalcitonin (ng/mL)	34.5±55.3	47.8±74.6	0.579
SOFA	11.0±2.2	10.1±1.5	0.236
APACHE II	23.9±3.6	25.7±6.6	0.444
Ventilator use, n (%)	32 (69.6)	2 (22.2)	0.020
Non-survivor, n (%)	43 (93.5)	6 (66.7)	0.049

n, number; CRP, C-reactive protein; SOFA, sepsis related organ failure assessment; APACHE II, acute physiologic and chronic health evaluation.