Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of included patients
| Parameter | Control group (n = 2230) | PCT group (n = 2252) |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Age (years) | 64.1 ± 15.0 | 63.5 ± 15.2 |
| Male gender | 1281 (57.5%) | 1273 (56.5%) |
| Primary focus of infection | ||
| Respiratory | 1101 (49.4%) | 1102 (48.9%) |
| Urinary | 129 (5.8%) | 118 (5.2%) |
| Abdominal | 417 (18.7%) | 391 (17.4%) |
| Skin/soft tissue | 41 (1.8%) | 32 (1.4%) |
| CNS | 35 (1.6%) | 38 (1.7%) |
| Other/unknown | 440 (19.7%) | 519 (23.0%) |
| Genital/gynecologic | 8 (0.4%) | 3 (0.1%) |
| Catheter-related | 14 (0.6%) | 16 (0.7%) |
| Bloodstream | 36 (1.6%) | 25 (1.1%) |
| Upper respiratory | 9 (0.4%) | 8 (0.4%) |
| Vital signs | ||
| Temperature (°C) | 37.7 ± 1.2 | 37.8 ± 1.1 |
| Sepsis score | ||
| Meeting sepsis 3 definition | 1630 (73.1%) | 1605 (71.3%) |
| SOFA score (points) | 7.4 ± 4.0 | 7.3 ± 4.1 |
| Additional sepsis support | ||
| Vasopressor use | 1593 (76.3%) | 1606 (76.7%) |
| Ventilation support | 1434 (68.1%) | 1478 (69.4%) |
| Renal replacement | 767 (34.4%) | 757 (33.6%) |
Values are presented as mean ± standard deviation or n (%) as appropriate
CNS central nervous system, PCT procalcitonin, SD standard deviation, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment