Table 1. General Characteristics.
| Clinical Characteristics | All patients (n° 403) | NT-proBNP < 300 pg/ml (n° 25) | 300 ≤ NT-proBNP < 1800 pg/ml (n° 132) | NT-proBNP ≥ 1800 pg/ml (n° 246) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 88.1 ± 5.1 | 86.7 ± 4.6 | 87.1 ± 5.0 | 88.8 ± 5.1 | .003 |
| Sex: female | 230 (57.1%) | 18 (72%) | 71 (53.8%) | 141 (57.3%) | .239 |
| Length of stay (days) | 11.2 ± 6.7 | 11.6 ± 6.3 | 11.9 ± 6.9 | 10.8 ± 6.6 | .289 |
| Polypharmacy | 295 (73.2%) | 17 (68%) | 81 (61.4%) | 197 (80.1%) | <.001 |
| Cognitive impairment | 188 (46.7%) | 10 (40%) | 61 (46.2%) | 117 (47.6%) | .765 |
| GIC: Low comorbidity | 45 (11.2%) | 4 (16%) | 21 (15.9%) | 20 (8.1%) | .053 |
| GIC: High comorbidity | 358 (88.8%) | 21 (84%) | 111 (84.1%) | 226 (91.9%) | .053 |
| ADL Hierarchy Scale: No impairment | 97 (24.1%) | 6 (24%) | 36 (27.3%) | 55 (22.4%) | .647 |
| ADL Hierarchy Scale: Assistance required | 146 (36.2%) | 11 (44%) | 48 (36.4%) | 87 (35.4%) | .647 |
| ADL Hierarchy Scale: Dependence | 160 (39.7%) | 8 (32%) | 48 (36.4%) | 104 (36.4%) | .647 |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 123.6 ± 25.3 | 127.1 ± 25.5 | 127.9 ± 25.2 | 121.0 ± 25.1 | .031 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | 70.3 ± 13.3 | 73.0 ± 13.2 | 71.4 ± 12.9 | 69.3 ± 13.5 | .195 |
| Heart Rate (bpm) | 82.2 ± 16.8 | 75.2 ± 15.5 | 81.7 ± 17.2 | 83.2 ± 16.6 | .072 |
| Admission diagnoses * | |||||
| COPD exacerbation | 121 (30%) | 7 (28%) | 36 (27.3%) | 78 (31.7%) | .652 |
| Pneumonia | 98 (24.3%) | 6 (24%) | 29 (22%) | 63 (25.6%) | .733 |
| UTI or other infections | 91 (22.6%) | 6 (24%) | 27 (20.5%) | 58 (23.6%) | .775 |
| Acute kidney injury | 77 (19.1%) | 4 (16%) | 17 (12.9%) | 56 (22.8%) | .061 |
| Advanced cancer | 47 (11.7%) | 3 (12%) | 12 (9.1%) | 32 (13%) | .527 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 109 (27.0%) | 4 (16%) | 20 (15.2%) | 85 (34.6%) | <.001 |
| Admission lab parameters | |||||
| NT-proBNP (pg/ml) | 2404 (25°-75° pcs: 996–6446) | 172 (25°-75° pcs: 112–245) | 891 (25°-75° pcs: 584–1379) | 5330 (25°-75° pcs: 2821–11422) | <.001 |
| Hgb (g/dl) | 11.5 ± 2.1 | 12.4 ± 2.0 | 11.8 ± 2.2 | 11.2 ± 2.1 | .004 |
| WBC (n/mm3) | 11332 ± 6077 | 9558 ± 3860 | 11344 ± 5966 | 11507 ± 6306 | .312 |
| eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 48.3 ± 24.1 | 56.6 ± 24.4 | 56.7 ± 23.2 | 42.9 ± 23.1 | <.001 |
| Serum sodium (mEq/l) | 136.9 ± 7.1 | 136.3 ± 5.7 | 137.4 ± 7.4 | 136.8 ± 7.1 | .682 |
| Serum potassium (mEq/l) | 4.2 ± 0.8 | 4.2 ± 0.6 | 4.1 ± 0.7 | 4.2 ± 0.8 | .735 |
| Glycaemia (mg/dl) | 135.0 ± 62.3 | 125.3 ± 49.1 | 138.0 ± 72.3 | 134.4 ± 57.6 | .633 |
| Albumine (g/dl) | 3.2 ± 0.6 | 3.3 ± 0.5 | 3.3 ± 0.6 | 3.1 ± 0.6 | .001 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 142.8 ± 39.5 | 155.1 ± 46.4 | 150.9 ± 42.8 | 137.1 ± 35.9 | .002 |
| CRP (mg/dl) ¥ | 8.89 ± 8.51 | 4.66 ± 3.99 | 7.04 ± 6.89 | 10.12 ± 9.22 | .002 |
| Cardiovascular therapy before admission | |||||
| ACE-I/ARBs | 166 (41.2%) | 13 (52%) | 48 (36.4%) | 105 (42.7%) | .259 |
| Diuretics | 249 (61.8%) | 16 (64%) | 61 (46.2%) | 172 (69.9%) | <.001 |
| Beta blockers | 126 (31.1%) | 3 (12%) | 26 (19.7%) | 97 (39.4%) | <.001 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 60 (14.9%) | 4 (16%) | 22 (16.7%) | 34 (13.8%) | .750 |
| Mineralocorticoid antagonists | 88 (21.8%) | 6 (24%) | 21 (15.9%) | 61 (24.8%) | .132 |
| Antiplatelet drugs | 162 (40.2%) | 10 (40%) | 51 (38.6%) | 101 (41.1%) | .900 |
| Statins | 108 (26.8%) | 7 (28%) | 38 (28.8%) | 63 (25.6%) | .794 |
| Anticoagulants | 127 (31.5%) | 7 (28%) | 32 (24.2%) | 88 (35.8%) | .066 |
All continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD, except NT-proBNP that was expressed as median and interquartile range, because it was markedly skewed. Categorical variables were expressed as absolute number and percentage. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of five or more drugs.UTI: urinary tract infection; Hgb: hemoglobin; WBC: white blood cells; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate; CRP: C reactive protein; BP: blood pressure; ACE-I: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors; ARBs: angiotensin II receptor blockers.
*Each patient could have more than one admission diagnosis.
¥ CRP was evaluated in 318 patients.