Table 1.
Patient characteristics at baseline
| Variable | DEX (n = 44) | Usual care (n = 39) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study site—no. (%) | 0.77 | ||
| Australia | 20 (45.5) | 19 (48.7) | |
| Switzerland | 24 (54.5) | 20 (51.3) | |
| Age (years)—mean ± SD | 67.7 ± 12.4 | 62.9 ± 16.8 | 0.14 |
| Male sex—no. (%) | 29 (65.9) | 28 (71.8) | 0.56 |
| Weight (kg)—mean ± SD | 80.6 ± 17.7 | 85.3 ± 31.4 | 0.39 |
| APACHE II score—mean ± SD | 24.9 ± 6.7 | 25.3 ± 7.0 | 0.77 |
| Chronic health conditions—no.(%) | |||
| Diabetes mellitus treated with insulin | 4 (9.1) | 2 (5.1) | 0.68 |
| Chronic hemodialysis | 1 (2.3) | 1 (2.6) | > 0.99 |
| Liver cirrhosis | 1 (2.3) | 1 (2.6) | > 0.99 |
| Portal hypertension | 1 (2.3) | 3 (7.7) | 0.34 |
| Immunosuppression by disease | 1 (2.3) | 2 (5.1) | 0.60 |
| Immunosuppression by therapy | 2 (4.5) | 3 (7.7) | 0.66 |
| ICU admission source—no. (%) | 0.91 | ||
| Emergency department | 13 (29.5) | 13 (33.3) | |
| Hospital ward | 18 (40.9) | 13 (33.3) | |
| Operating room | 7 (15.9) | 9 (23.1) | |
| Another ICU | 1 (2.6) | 1 (2.3) | |
| Other hospitals | 5 (11.4) | 3 (7.7) | |
| Surgical admission—no. (%) | 8 (18.2) | 10 (25.6) | 0.41 |
| Primary site of infection—no. (%) | |||
| Respiratory | 26 (59.1) | 18 (46.2) | 0.24 |
| Gastrointestinal | 10 (22.7) | 14 (35.9) | 0.19 |
| Skin/soft tissues/bone | 3 (6.8) | 4 (10.3) | 0.7 |
| Urinary | 1 (2.3) | 1 (2.6) | > 0.99 |
| Blood | 2 (4.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0.5 |
| Other | 2. (4.5) | 2 (5.1) | > 0.99 |
| Organ-specific SOFA score—median [IQR] | |||
| Cardiovascular | 3 [3, 3] | 3 [3, 4] | 0.06 |
| Respiratory | 2 [2, 3] | 2 [2, 3] | 0.80 |
| Renal | 1 [0, 3] | 2 [0, 3] | 0.27 |
| Coagulation | 0 [0, 0] | 1 [0, 2] | 0.006 |
| Liver | 0 [0, 1] | 1 [0, 2] | 0.14 |
| NEq (μg/kg/min)—median [IQR] | 0.05 [0.03, 0.10] | 0.07 [0.02, 0.16] | 0.32 |
| Continuous vasoactive drugs at baseline—no. (%) | |||
| Noradrenaline | 38 (86.4) | 35 (89.7) | 0.64 |
| Adrenaline | 4 (9.1) | 2 (5.1) | 0.68 |
| Dobutamine | 1 (2.3) | 3 (7.7) | 0.34 |
| Vasopressin | 1 (2.3) | 2 (5.1) | 0.60 |
| Sedative and analgesic drugs at baseline—no. (%) | |||
| Propofol | 31 (73.8) | 33 (86.8) | 0.15 |
| Fentanyl | 26 (61.9) | 30 (78.9) | 0.10 |
| Midazolam | 20 (47.6) | 16 (42.1) | 0.62 |
| Morphine | 5 (11.9) | 3 (7.9) | 0.55 |
| Ketamine | 2 (4.8) | 2 (5.3) | > 0.99 |
| Other treatments at baseline—no. (%) | |||
| Continuous renal replacement therapy | 10 (22.7) | 13 (33.3) | 0.28 |
| Hydrocortisonea for septic shock | 19 (43.2) | 16 (41.0) | 0.84 |
| Physiological variables | |||
| Fluid balance at baseline (ml)—median [IQR] | 876 [− 21, 2600] | 621 [− 67, 2378] | 0.88 |
| Heart rate (beats/min)—median [IQR] | 85 [74, 99.5] | 95 [80, 105] | 0.10 |
| Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)—mean ± SD | 65.4 ± 8.35 | 66.1 ± 8.85 | 0.71 |
| Creatinine level (mg/dl)—median [IQR] | 1.23 [0.78, 2.12] | 1.76 [1.14, 2.34] | 0.044 |
| Creatinine level (μmol/l)—median [IQR] | 109 [69, 187] | 156 [101, 207] | 0.044 |
| Lactate level (mmol/l)—median [IQR] | 1.8 [1.4, 2.7] | 1.95 [1.4, 3.1] | 0.58 |
| RASS prior randomization—median [IQR] | − 3 [− 4, 1] | − 3 [− 4, − 2] | 0.69 |
| Time from ICU admission to randomization (h)—median [IQR] | 8.8 [3.6, 12.4] | 11.1 [4.7, 19.1] | 0.22 |
| Time from ICU admission to start of vasopressors (h)—median [IQR] | 1.4 [0.5, 3.5] | 2.7 [0.4, 5.1] | 0.39 |
Categorical values are expressed as numbers (%). Continuous variables are presented as means ± SD if normally distributed, otherwise as medians [IQR]
APACHE Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation, DEX dexmedetomidine, ICU intensive care unit, NEq noradrenaline equivalents, RASS: Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment
aIn the first 48 h after randomization