Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of study patients in each phase and the statistical significance between the study groups (n = 156).
| Demographic and Clinical Characteristics | Pre-Intervention Phase (n = 54) n (%) |
Post-Intervention Phase (n = 102) n (%) |
p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age * (years) | 74.2 ± 14.3 (32–99) | 75.9 ± 11.5 (40–101) | 0.424 c |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 23 (42.6) | 40 (39.2) | 0.733 b |
| Male | 31 (57.4) | 62 (60.8) | |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 3 (6.3) | 19 (18.6) | 0.050 b |
| Arterial hypertension | 14 (29.2) | 26 (25.5) | 0.694 b |
| Chronic kidney disease | 4 (8.3) | 8 (7.8) | 1.000 b |
| Missing | 6 | - | |
| Current infection | 7 (14.6) | 7 (6.9) | 0.145 b |
| Missing | 6 | 1 | |
| Number of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) during hospital stay * | 2.2 ± 1.5 (1–7) | 1.7 ± 1.5 (1–11) | 0.103 c |
| Cumulative days with PIVCs * | 10.5 ± 8.7 (1–39) | 9 ± 9.9 (0–72) | 0.349 c |
| Missing | - | 3 | |
| Intravenous (IV) therapeutics | 42 (91.3) | 87 (85.3) | 0.040 a |
| Missing | 8 | - | |
| IV antibiotics | 24 (52.2) | 33 (32.4) | 0.028 b |
| Missing | 8 | - | |
| Cardiovascular medication | 23 (50.0) | 58 (56.9) | 0.478 b |
| Noradrenaline | 4 (8.7) | 4 (3.9) | |
| Dobutamine | 1 (2.2) | 3 (2.9) | |
| Amiodarone | - | 5 (4.9) | |
| Isosorbide dinitrate | 1 (2.2) | 5 (4.9) | |
| Missing | 8 | - | |
| Fluid therapy | 18 (39.1) | 48 (47.1) | 0.475 b |
| Missing | 8 | - |
* Mean ± SD (Min–Max), a Chi-square test, b Fisher’s exact test, c Student’s t-test, – No cases.