Table 1.
Comparison of characteristics between preadmission glucocorticoid users and preadmission non-glucocorticoid users
| Variables | Preadmission GC group (n = 816) | Preadmission non-GC group (n = 24,113) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex: male | 442 (54.2%) | 14,434 (59.9%) | 0.001 |
| Age (years) | 65.2 (14.8) | 63.4 (15.6) | 0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.9 (4.0) | 23.8 (3.8) | < 0.001 |
| APACHE II | 20.9 (10.5) | 18.9 (10.2) | < 0.001 |
| Comorbidities at ICU admission | |||
| Hypertension | 335 (41.1%) | 10,559 (43.8%) | 0.121 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 80 (9.8%) | 2275 (9.4%) | 0.723 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 26 (3.2%) | 661 (2.7%) | 0.445 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 37 (4.5%) | 1057 (4.4%) | 0.836 |
| Chronic obstructive lung disease | 59 (7.2%) | 993 (4.1%) | < 0.001 |
| Liver disease (LC, hepatitis, fatty liver) | 42 (5.1%) | 709 (2.9%) | < 0.001 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 152 (18.6%) | 3749 (15.5%) | 0.017 |
| Anemia (Hb < 10 g/dl) | 358 (43.9%) | 7348 (30.5%) | < 0.001 |
| Cancer | 214 (26.2%) | 4147 (17.2%) | < 0.001 |
| Admission through the emergency department | 487 (59.7%) | 12,122 (50.3%) | < 0.001 |
| Postoperative ICU admission | 287 (35.2%) | 10,384 (43.1%) | < 0.001 |
| Main diagnosis at ICU admission | |||
| Septic shock | 56 (6.9%) | 353 (1.5%) | < 0.001 |
| Cardiac disease | 190 (23.3%) | 8002 (33.2%) | < 0.001 |
| Neurologic disease | 111 (13.6%) | 3237 (13.4%) | 0.883 |
| Kidney failure | 72 (8.8%) | 1653 (6.9%) | 0.029 |
| Respiratory insufficiency or failure | 211 (25.9%) | 2695 (11.2%) | < 0.001 |
| Drug intoxication | 6 (0.7%) | 170 (0.7%) | 0.919 |
| Trauma | 6 (0.7%) | 185 (0.8%) | 0.918 |
| GI bleeding, ischemia, or perforation | 34 (4.2%) | 1074 (4.5%) | 0.695 |
| Hemorrhagic shock | 2 (0.2%) | 105 (0.4%) | 0.413 |
| Post-cardiac arrest | 19 (2.3%) | 312 (1.3%) | 0.011 |
| Others* | 286 (35.0%) | 9236 (38.3%) | 0.327 |
| Length of hospital stay (days) | 16.4 (36.8) | 11.1 (18.7) | < 0.001 |
| Length of ICU stay (days) | 2.6 (9.3) | 5.3 (26.7) | < 0.001 |
| All-cause 30-day mortality | 173 (21.2%) | 2113 (8.8%) | < 0.001 |
| 30-Day mortality due to diagnosed infection | 31 (3.8%) | 260 (1.1%) | < 0.001 |
Presented as number (percentage) or mean value (standard deviation)
T test for continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical variables were used
APACHE Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation, GC glucocorticoid, GI gastrointestinal, Hb hemoglobin, ICU intensive care unit, LC liver cirrhosis
Others* include liver failure, urinary tract infection, unknown, peripheral vascular disease, and ICU admission for monitoring