Table 4.
Patients’ demographic data, clinical characteristics at admission to ICU and outcomes grouped according to the SST
| CIRCI (n = 28) | Non-CIRCI (n = 18) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 56.0 ± 12.8 | 56.0 ± 18.0 | 0.997 |
| Gender (M/F) | 22/6 | 14/4 | 1.000 |
| SOFA score | 14.8 ± 3.3 | 8.7 ± 2.8 | <0.001 |
| MELD score | 35.3 ± 8.8 | 21.3 ± 9.5 | <0.001 |
| Child–Pugh score | 13 (12–14) | 9 (8–11.5) | <0.001 |
| ACTH (pg/ml) | 28 (15–40) | 7.9 (6.7–18.3) | <0.001 |
| Baseline cortisol (nmol/L) | 877 (481–1331) | 555 (417–859) | 0.054 |
| Peak cortisol (nmol/L) | 967 (695–1505) | 1021 (803–1458) | 0.727 |
| Cortisol increment (nmol/L) | 145 (70–217) | 399 (314–546) | <0.001 |
| Baseline DHEAS (nmol/L) | 678 (437–1111) | 921 (524–1552) | 0.229 |
| Peak DHEAS (nmol/L) | 750 (491–1141) | 1159 (595–1866) | 0.075 |
| DHEAS increment (nmol/L) | 41 (16–101) | 180 (90–278) | 0.002 |
| Baseline DHEAS/cortisol | 1.01 ± 0.79 | 2.11 ± 1.58 | 0.012 |
| IL-6 (pg/ml) | 660 (240–968) | 164 (85–328) | 0.011 |
| TNF-α (pg/ml) | 44 (31–79) | 16 (6–36) | 0.007 |
| Hospital mortality | 26/28 (92.9%) | 8/18 (44.4%) | <0.001 |
Data presented as mean ± SD, number (percentage), or median (interquartile range)
M male, F female, SST short corticotropin stimulation test, CIRCI critical illness-related corticosteroid deficiency, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, MELD Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone, DHEAS dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, IL-6 interleukin-6, TNF-α tumor necrosis factor alpha, ICU intensive care unit