Table 3.
Results of univariate analysis of factors of unexpected ICU transfer in patients with severe sepsis initially admitted to the wards
| Early escalation to ICU (n = 84) | No escalation to ICU with 48 h (n = 274) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient characteristics | |||
| Age, years | 58.5 (±18.3) | 58.2 (±16.0) | 0.872 |
| Sex, % male (n) | 54% (45) | 56% (153) | 0.781 |
| Charlson co-morbidity index | 3.44 (±2.11) | 3.01 (±2.51) | 0.125 |
| % immunocompromised (n) | 67% (183) | 58% (49) | 0.152 |
| % from nursing home (n) | 13% (36) | 14% (12) | 0.855 |
| % with active malignancy | 30% (82) | 32% (27) | 0.787 |
| Infection site,% (n) | 0.03 | ||
| Abdominal | 17% (14) | 18% (49) | |
| Cardiac | 1% (1) | 1% (3) | |
| Central nervous system | 0% (0) | 2% (5) | |
| Musculoskeletal | 10% (8) | 14% (39) | |
| Genitourinary | 21% (18) | 34% (94) | |
| Pulmonary | 28% (24) | 21% (56) | |
| Other/unknown/multiple | 23% (19) | 10% (27) | |
| Vital signs | |||
| Triage temperature (°C) | 37.3 (±1.0) | 38.1 (±5.5) | 0.190 |
| Triage heart rate (BPM) | 109 (±23) | 110 (±24) | 0.580 |
| Triage systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 113 (±27) | 111 (±24) | 0.612 |
| Triage shock index (HR/SBP) | 0.98 (±0.32) | 1.03 (±0.28) | 0.235 |
| Minimum SBP during ED stay (mm Hg) | 93 (±21) | 94 (±21) | 0.809 |
| Maximal HR during ED stay (BPM) | 120 (±24) | 115 (±23) | 0.072 |
| Maximal RR during stay (RPM) | 25 (±6) | 25 (±11) | 0.975 |
| Laboratory results | |||
| Sodium (mEq/L) | 134 (±5) | 133 (±11) | 0.600 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.70 (±1.5) | 2.04 (±1.6) | 0.692 |
| Bicarbonate (mEq/L) | 22 (±4.7) | 23 (±4.3) | 0.218 |
| Lactate (mmol/L) | 3.7 (±3.2) | 2.6 (±1.8) | 0.011 |
| % with lactate > = 4 mmol/L | 28.1% | 16.7% | 0.039 |
| White count (×109/L) | 13.2 (±8.4) | 11.3 (7.8) | 0.051 |
| Interventions | |||
| Time to antibiotics (min) | 96.6 (±89.9) | 113.1 (±86.7) | 0.136 |
| Fluids administered in 1st 6 h (mL/kg) | 35.7 (±18.5) | 32.4 (±19.0) | 0.167 |
| Temporal impact | |||
| Time in ED (min) | 543 (±310) | 646 (±411) | 0.339 |
| % admission during weekday (n) | 70% (192) | 76% (64) | 0.334 |
| % admission at night (n) | 60% (50) | 49% (134) | 0.060 |
| Mortality % (n) | 25% (21) | 8% (22) | <0.005 |