Table 1.
General characteristics of the patients during hospital stay.
| Characteristics | Vit C (n = 18) |
Vit E (n = 18) |
NAC (n = 20) |
MT (n = 20) |
C (n = 21) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (median, min–max) | 62 (22–95) | 65.5 (22–91) | 67.5 (18–95) | 62.5 (46–95) | 76 (51–89) |
| Weight kg (median, min–max) | 71 (33–112) | 71.5 (40–120) | 69.5 (39–95) | 67 (50–106) | 68 (50–105) |
| BM weight/height2 (median, min–max) | 25.4 (14.7–40.4) | 25 (15.1–41.4) | 22.45 (16.5–0.3) | 25.35 (17.3–52) | 25.4 (19.6–58) |
| Gender (%) | |||||
| Men | 6 (6.19) | 12 (12.37) | 11 (11.34) | 10 (10.31) | 10 (10.31) |
| Women | 12 (12.37) | 6 (6.19) | 9 (9.28) | 10 (10.31) | 11 (11.34) |
| Chronic health condition (%) | |||||
| Diabetes Mellitus | 4 (4.12) | 4 (4.12) | 3 (3.09) | 5 (5.15) | 6 (6.19) |
| Hypertension | 6 (6.19) | 8 (8.25) | 9 (9.28) | 7 (7.22) | 11 (11.34) |
| Cancer | 5 (5.15) | 9 (9.28) | 7 (7.22) | 7 (7.22) | 11 (11.34) |
| Chronic renal failure | 1 (1.03) | 2 (2.03) | 4 (4.12) | 3 (3.09) | 2 (2.06) |
| Admission source (%) | |||||
| Emergency department | 9 (9.28) | 12 (13.37) | 10 (10.31) | 14 (14.43) | 9 (9.28) |
| Operating room | 4 (4.12) | 2 (2.06) | 3 (3.09) | 2 (2.06) | 4 (4.12) |
| Inpatient ward transfer | 3 (3.09) | 4 (4.12) | 7 (7.22) | 4 (4.12) | 7 (7.22) |
| Other | 2 (2.06) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.03) |
| Primary site of infection (%) | |||||
| Pulmonary | 7 (7.37) | 9 (9.97) | 9 (9.97) | 8 (8.42) | 6 (6.32) |
| Gastrointestinal | 7 (7.37) | 3 (3.16) | 4 (4.21) | 3 (3.16) | 9 (9.97) |
| Urinary | 2 (2.11) | 2 (2.11) | 5 (5.26) | 5 (5.26) | 3 (3.16) |
| CNS | 0 | 2 (2.11) | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.05) |
| Blood | 0 | 1 (1.05) | 0 | 2 (2.11) | 0 |
| Physiological variables 24 h | |||||
| before randomization | |||||
| (median, min–max) | |||||
| White blood cell count × 103/μL | 11 (5.1–39.9) | 10.8 (0.4–25.4) | 8.6 (0–32.5) | 11.7 (5.2–29.6) | 12 (0.9–49.8) |
| Platelet count × 103/μL | 256 (7–409) | 158 (10–363) | 155 (22–470) | 187.5 (29–543) | 225 (24–436) |
| Lactate (mmol/L) | 1.65 (0–4.8) | 2.1 (0.82–10.5) | 1.74 (0.99–7.8) | 2.27 (1–17) | 2.52 (1.1–12.4) |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.9 (0.5–5.5) | 1.35 (0.5–3.8) | 0.92 (0.5–6.6) | 1.27 (0.57–6.6) | 1.2 (0.5–5.2) |
| Bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.75 (0.23–3.5) | 1.05 (0.35–4.4) | 0.80 (0.2–4) | 1.03 (0.17–3.7) | 1.15 (0.2–13.6) |
| PaO2/FiO2 (mmHg) | 168.5 (61–408) | 215 (39–271) | 146 (71–367) | 197 (57–261) | 197 (131–560) |
| C reactive protein (mg/dL) | 18.33 (1.9–1.4) | 20.12 (0.5–47) | 13.34 (0.02–6.7) | 21.75 (1.35–6.7) | 20.25 (1.36–5.3) |
| Procalcitonin (ng/dL) | 1.46 (0.16–321) | 2.92 (0.08–109) | 2.35 (0.06–95.5) | 2.32 (0.22–38.7) | 8.25 (0.08–100) |
| Intervention before randomization (%) | |||||
| Mechanical ventilation | 11 (11.58) | 9 (9.47) | 14 (14.47) | 12 (12.63) | 16 (16.84) |
| Vasopressors | 9 (9.38) | 7 (7.29) | 12 (12.50) | 9 (9.38) | 11 (11.46) |
| Norepinephrine | 0 | 1 (1.04) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vasopressin | 8 (8.33) | 10 (10.42) | 8 (8.33) | 11 (11.46) | 10 (10.42) |
| Norepinephrine plus vasopressin | |||||
| Inotropes | |||||
| Dobutamine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.04) |
| Levosimendan | 0 | 5 (5.21) | 1 (1.04) | 3 (3.13) | 5 (5.21) |
| Dopamine | 1 (1.04) | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.04) | 0 |
| Renal replacement Therapy | 1 (1.04) | 2 (2.08) | 2 (2.08) | 1 (1.04) | 3 (3.13) |
| Corticosteroid use before | |||||
| randomization during the study (%) | 6 (6.19) | 11 (11.34) | 9 (9.28) | 8 (8.25) | 10 (10.31) |
| SAPS II (median, min–max) | 38 (16–62) | 40 (24–73) | 38.5 (12–97) | 41.5 (13–73) | 40 (18–79) |
| APACHE III (median, min–max) | 13.5 (5–47) | 19 (11–33) | 14.5 (5–46) | 17 (6–39) | 15 (5–38) |
| SOFA score (median, min–max) | 8.5 (3–16) | 8.5 (5–14) | 8.5 (1–17) | 8 (3–14) | 8 (1–16) |
| Time from ICU admission to randomization hours (median, min–max) |
5 (1.5–70) | 6 (1–17) | 3 (1–140) | 9 (3–48) | - |
The data presented in this table are on admission to intensive care. Several patients met the inclusion criteria several hours or days after admission to the intensive care unit and all patients used vasopressors since it was an inclusion criterion. Abbreviations: Vit C: vitamin C; Vit E: vitamin E; NAC: n-acetylcysteine; MT: melatonin; (min-mx): minimum–maximum; BMI: body mass index; CNS: central nervous system; SAPS II: Simplified Acute Physiology Score; APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; ICU: intensive care unit.