Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the patients included in the study.
| Variables | CG (n=26) | DG (n=17) | QG (n=24) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years∗ | 42.4 ± 12.74 | 41.3 ± 24.26 | 48.8 ± 19.69 | 0.258 |
| Male (%) | 20 (76.9%) | 15 (88.2%) | 18 (75%) | 0.606 |
| BMI (kg/m2)∗ | 24.9 ± 2.85 | 27.5 ± 15.0 | 25.2 ± 3.03 | 0.572 |
| APACHE II score (admission)∗ | 18.9 ± 1.93 | 17.9 ± 3.68 | 18.7 ± 4.01 | 0.616 |
| Cause of hospitalization, n (%) | ||||
| Medical, nonneurological | 1 (3.9%) | 0 | 5 (20.8%) | 0.042 |
| Medical, neurological | 9 (34.6%) | 3 (17.6%) | 4 (16.6%) | |
| Traumatic brain injury | 10 (38.5%) | 12 (70.6%) | 6 (25%) | |
| Trauma, nonneurological | 0 | 1 (5.9%) | 5 (20.8%) | |
| Postoperative emergency surgery | 4 (15.4%) | 0 | 2 (8.4%) | |
| Postoperative elective surgery | 2 (7.6%) | 1 (5.9%) | 2 (8.4%) | |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | ||||
| Smoker | 8 (30.7%) | 5 (29.4%) | 7 (29.1%) | |
| Alcohol use | 6 (23%) | 4 (23.5%) | 5 (20.8%) | |
| COPD | 8 (30.7%) | 5 (29.4%) | 7 (29.1%) | 0.999 |
| Asthma | 3 (11.5%) | 1 (5.8%) | 2 (8.3%) | |
| CHF | 5 (19.2%) | 3 (17.6%) | 2 (8.3%) | |
| Hypertension | 8 (30.7%) | 5 (29.4%) | 7 (29.1%) | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 7 (26.9%) | 2 (11.7%) | 3 (12.5%) |
APACHE, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation; BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CHF, congestive heart failure; CG, control group; DG, diaphragm group; QG, quadriceps group; SD, standard deviation. ∗Values are expressed as mean ± SD (p < 0.05).