Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of 80 matched patients included in the trial
| Variable | TPE (n = 40) | Standard care (n = 40) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender (M/F) | 24/16 | 21/19 | 0.65 |
| Mean age (years) | 57.6 ± 13.4 | 63.6 ± 16.3 | 0.077 |
| Septic shocka | 40 (100%) | 40 (100%) | 1 |
| Ventilator requirement | 39 (97.5%) | 29 (72.5%) | 0.003 |
| ESRD | 3 (7.5%) | 3 (7.5%) | 1 |
| Mean APACHE II | 32.5 ± 6.0 | 32.7 ± 7.2 | 0.88 |
| Mean SOFA on admission | 14.3 ± 3.6 | 13.8 ± 2.4 | 0.426 |
| Mean SOFA at time zerob | 15.8 ± 2.9 | 13.8 ± 2.4 | 0.001 |
| Hypertension | 21 | 26 | 0.364 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 10 | 10 | 1 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 15 | 17 | 0.82 |
| COPD | 8 | 8 | 1 |
| Lactic acid at time zerob | 8.1 ± 6.6 | 6.6 ± 4.7 | 0.219 |
| Number of pressors at time zerob | 3.1 ± 0.76 | 2.9 ± 0.83 | 0.263 |
| Site of infection | 0.328 | ||
| Pneumonia | 23 | 17 | |
| GU | 6 | 8 | |
| GI/biliary | 6 | 6 | |
| Skin/soft tissue | 1 | 4 | |
| Endocarditis | 3 | 1 | |
| Primary bacteremia | 1 | 4 |
aAll patients included were on at least two vasopressors per selection criteria
bTPE “time zero” is the time of the first TPE; standard care “time zero” is the hour of the first recorded vital signs in ICU