Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Study Participants.
| Factors | Intervention group (n=21) | Control group (n=19) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic factors | |||
| Male | 8 (38.1) | 9 (47.4) | 0.342 |
| Age (yr) | 77.0 [69.5–78.5] | 70.0 [66.0–77.0) | 0.797 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.1 [19.3–24.6] | 23.4 [20.2–26.6] | 0.303 |
| Length of hospital stay (day) | 12 [9.0–29.5] | 11 [8.0–16.0] | 0.221 |
| Total intervention day (day) | 8 [6.0–16.5] | - | |
| Comorbidities | |||
| HTN | 12 (57.1) | 13 (68.4) | 0.528 |
| DM | 7 (33.3) | 8 (42.1) | 0.319 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 3 (14.3) | 3 (15.8) | 1.000 |
| CHF | 2 (9.5) | 1 (5.3) | 1.000 |
| CVA | 3 (14.3) | 2 (10.5) | 1.000 |
| Chronic lung disease | 2 (9.5) | 0 (0) | 0.488 |
| Chronic renal disease | 3 (14.3) | 7 (36.8) | 0.104 |
| Chronic liver disease | 1 (4.8) | 5 (26.3) | 0.085 |
| Metastatic malignancy | 2 (9.5) | 6 (31.6) | 0.120 |
| Organ transplant recipient | 1 (4.8) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Rheumatologic disease | 3 (14.3) | 3 (15.8) | 1.000 |
| Charlson comorbidity score | 4.0 [3.0–6.0] | 6.0 [5.0–8.0] | 0.007 |
| Clinical characteristics on admission | |||
| Shock | 21 (100) | 18 (94.7) | 0.475 |
| Use of inotropics | 21 (100) | 17 (89.5) | 0.219 |
| Acute kidney injury | 13 (61.9) | 12 (63.2) | 0.936 |
| RRT | 3 (14.3) | 1 (5.3) | 0.607 |
| Acute lung injury | 4 (19.0) | 0 (0) | 0.108 |
| Ventilator care | 4 (19.0) | 0 (0) | 0.108 |
| ICU care | 4 (19.0) | 2 (10.5) | 0.664 |
| CRP (mg/dL) | 177.0 [96.0–230.5] | 117.0 [56.0–234.0] | 0.255 |
| Procalcitonin | 23.6 [7.1–111.5] | 21.4 [2.8–44.4] | 0.642 |
| SOFA score | 6.0 [4.5–8.5] | 6.0 [5.0–10.0] | 0.990 |
| APACHE II score | 16.0 [9.0–20.5] | 17.0 [14.0–20.0] | 0.642 |
| Primary source of infection | 0.625 | ||
| Pneumonia | 4 (19.0) | 2 (10.5) | |
| Urinary tract infection | 9 (42.9) | 9 (47.4) | |
| Intra-abdominal infection | 5 (23.8) | 4 (21.1) | |
| Gastroenteritis | 3 (14.3) | 1 (5.3) | |
| Others | 0 (0) | 3 (15.8) | |
| Outcome | |||
| Overall 1 month mortality | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | - |
| Overall 6 month mortality | 3 (14.3) | 4 (21.1) | 0.574 |
BMI, body mass index; HTN, hypertension; DM, diabetes mellitus; CHF, congestive heart failure; CVA, cerebrovascular accident; RRT, renal replacement therapy; ICU, intensive care unit; CRP, C-reactive protein; SOFA score, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score; APACHE II score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score.
Data are presented as number (%) or median [interquartile range].