Table 1.

Baseline characteristics

	All (n = 998)	‘High CRP’ (n = 375)	‘Low CRP’ (n = 623)	p value
Age (years)	66 [56–74]	66 [56–75]	66 [56–74]	0.349
Male sex (%)	62	61	62	0.924
LOS in hospital before ICU admission	1 [0–4]	1 [1–4]	1 [0–4]	0.655
APACHE II score admission	19 [15–24]	18 [14–22]	19 [15–25]	<0.001
SMR score admission	27 [12–53]	21 [10–41]	32 [14–57]	<0.001
SOFA score admission	7.2 (2.9)	6.7 (2.9)	7.5 (2.9)	<0.001
SAPS II score admission	32 [26–39]	31 [25–38]	33 [26–42]	0.048
CRP admission (mg/L)	66 [10–178]	57 [7–170)	72 [15–180]	0.046
WCC admission (×109)	13.8 (8.2)	13.0 (6.9)	14.2 (8.9)	0.032
Temp admission (°C)	37.2 (1.2)	37.2 (1.1)	37.3 (1.3)	0.144
Comorbidities (%)
Chronic renal failure	8	8	7	0.485
Hypertension	30	31	29	0.552
COPD	20	20	19	0.620
Diabetes mellitus	19	18	20	0.394
Chronic cardiovascular disease	18	18	18	0.781
Cancer	15	14	15	0.597
Other	6	6	7	0.534
Diagnosis group (%)
Elective surgery	12	20	8
Cardiac surgery	26	31	23
Sepsis	38	32	41
Trauma	2	2	2
Cardiac arrest	8	7	9	<0.001
CFH	5	3	6
COPD	2	1	2
Intoxication	2	1	2
Metabolic	1	1	2
Others	4	3	5
Type of admission (%)
Medical	43	31	50
Surgical—planned	31	42	25	<0.001
Surgical—urgent	26	27	25
Patient’s origin (%)
Emergency department	23	20	25
Ward	19	12	23	<0.001
Operating room	54	66	47
Other hospital	4	2	5

Data are presented as mean ± SD (normal distribution), as median with interquartile range (non-normal distribution) or as % (categorical variable)

CRP C-reactive protein; high CRP, CRP ≥75 mg/L; low CRP, CRP <75 mg/L; LOS length of stay; APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; SMR standardized mortality rate; SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; SAPS II Simplified Acute Physiology Score II; WCC white cell counts; Temp body temperature; COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CFH congestive heart failure