Table 1.
Descriptive statistics of primary/secondary outcome parameters and confounding variables
| Variable | Shortage (n = 132) | Control (n = 141) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary outcome parameter | |||
| Mechanical ventilation, hours | 35 (14–211) | 23 (13–66) | |
| Secondary outcome parameters | |||
| Length of ICU stay, days | 7 (3–17) | 5 (3–10) | |
| Days with non-invasive ventilation | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | |
| Length of hospital stay, days | 37 (17–63) | 19 (12–41) | |
| Pneumonia occurrence, no. | 31 (24) | 18 (13) | |
| Sepsis occurrence, no. | 22 (17) | 12 (9) | |
| Confounding variables | |||
| Age, years | 58 (49–71) | 58 (45–69) | 0.720a |
| Sex, female | 53 (40) | 67 (48) | 0.270b |
| Body mass index, kg m−2 | 25 (22–30) | 24 (22–28) | 0.153a |
| SAPS III at ICU admission | 47 (40–57) | 42 (34–50) | <0.001c |
| Maximum of SOFA score | 8 (5–11) | 7 (5–10) | 0.600c |
| Airway | 0.004b | ||
| Endotracheal tube | 90 (68) | 120 (85) | |
| Primary tracheostomy | 17 (13) | 8 (6) | |
| Secondary tracheostomy | 25 (19) | 13 (9) | |
| COPD | 18 (14) | 21 (15) | 0.902b |
| Intracranial operation or TBI | 19 (14) | 22 (15) | 0.913b |
| Coma | 7 (5) | 4 (3) | 0.467b |
| Delirium | 21 (16) | 24 (17) | 0.933b |
Abbreviations: COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ICU intensive care unit, SAPS III Simplified Acute Physiology Score III, SOFA Sequential/Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment, TBI traumatic brain injury
Data are given as median with 25th and 75th percentile or absolute count with percentage
Statistical methods: aWelch two-sample t test, bPearson’s chi-squared test with Yates’s continuity correction, cWilcoxon rank-sum test