Table 2.
Clinical characteristics and comparisons between survivors and non-survivors
| Variables | Total (N = 60) |
Non-survivors (N = 17) |
Survivors (N = 43) |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 51.2 ± 17.9 | 47.2 ± 21.2 | 52.8 ± 16.4 | 0.465 |
| Sex (female) | 36 (60.0%) | 11 (64.7%) | 25 (58.1%) | 0.640 |
| Corticosteroid use | 58 (96.7%) | 16 (94.1%) | 42 (97.7%) | 0.490 |
| Pulse therapy | 8 (13.3%) | 3 (17.6%) | 5 (11.6%) | 0.676 |
| Duration of corticotherapy (months) | 22.9 ± 46.2 | 36.8 ± 70.6 | 17.4 ± 31.5 | 0.913 |
| Dose of corticosteroids (mg) | 52.2 ± 42.6 | 51.2 ± 36.4 | 52.5 ± 45.2 | 0.944 |
| Immunosuppressants | 25 (41.7%) | 9 (52.9%) | 16 (37.2%) | 0.265 |
| Hospitalization within last 90 days | 48 (80.0%) | 13 (76.5%) | 35 (81.4%) | 0.726 |
| Previous antimicrobial therapy within 30 days | 52 (86.7%) | 16 (94.1%) | 36 (83.7%) | 0.420 |
| Ever-smokers | 15 (25.0%) | 2 (11.8%) | 13 (30.2%) | 0.192 |
| Pulmonary diseasesa | 29 (48.3%) | 8 (47.1%) | 21 (48.8%) | 1.000 |
| Hypertension | 22 (36.7%) | 8 (47.1%) | 14 (32.6%) | 0.376 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 14 (23.3%) | 4 (23.5%) | 10 (23.3%) | 1.000 |
| Fever | 45 (75.0%) | 14 (82.4%) | 31 (72.1%) | 0.520 |
| Cough/expectoration | 49 (81.7%) | 11 (64.7%) | 38 (88.4%) | 0.059 |
| Initial body temperature (°C) | 37.40 ± 0.99 | 37.44 ± 1.15 | 37.38 ± 0.94 | 0.722 |
| Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) | 90.9 ± 17.3 | 89.3 ± 18.1 | 91.6 ± 17.2 | 0.785 |
| Respiratory failure at admission | 26 (43.3%) | 11 (64.7%) | 15 (34.9%) | 0.036 |
| Blood leukocyte count (109/L) | 10.01 ± 5.60 | 9.89 ± 5.74 | 10.06 ± 5.61 | 0.994 |
| Blood neutrophil count (109/L) | 8.69 ± 5.29 | 8.61 ± 5.35 | 8.72 ± 5.34 | 0.993 |
| Blood lymphocyte count (/μL) | 867 ± 978 | 877 ± 1300 | 863 ± 836 | 0.450 |
| Albumin (g/L) | 29.8 ± 4.8 | 28.7 ± 5.1 | 30.2 ± 4.6 | 0.352 |
| Alanine aminotransferase (U/L) | 82.3 ± 282.8 | 48.8 ± 53.0 | 95.8 ± 333.8 | 0.847 |
| Creatinine (μmol/L) | 83.8 ± 81.3 | 81.9 ± 59.3 | 84.5 ± 89.3 | 0.854 |
| Urea (mmol/L) | 9.41 ± 6.65 | 12.33 ± 7.72 | 8.22 ± 5.86 | 0.011 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 71.2 ± 63.6 | 78.3 ± 67.8 | 67.1 ± 62.0 | 0.407 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (U/L) | 537.6 ± 424.8 | 710.0 ± 588.5 | 425.5 ± 227.2 | 0.146 |
| PCT (ng/ml) | 0.012 | |||
| < 0.5 | 39 (65.0%) | 7 (41.2%) | 32 (74.4%) | |
| 0.5–2 | 9 (15.0%) | 2 (11.8%) | 7 (16.3%) | |
| 2–10 | 9 (15.0%) | 6 (35.3%) | 3 (7.0%) | |
| > 10 | 3 (5.0%) | 2 (11.8%) | 1 (2.3%) | |
| CMV viremia | 19 (31.7%) | 8 (47.1%) | 11 (25.6%) | 0.107 |
| ESBL production | 22/51 (43.1%) | 10/14 (71.4%) | 12/37 (32.4%) | 0.012 |
| Carbapenem resistance | 5 (8.3%) | 2 (11.8%) | 3 (7.0%) | 0.616 |
| Bacteremia | 11 (18.3%) | 5 (29.4%) | 6 (14.0%) | 0.265 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Change of antibiotics due to clinical deterioration | 22 (36.7%) | 12 (70.6%) | 10 (23.3%) | 0.001 |
| Septic shock | 14 (23.3%) | 10 (58.8%) | 4 (9.3%) | < 0.001 |
| ICU admission | 38 (63.3%) | 16 (94.1%) | 22 (51.2%) | 0.002 |
| Mechanical ventilation | 26 (43.3%) | 15 (88.2%) | 11 (25.6%) | < 0.001 |
| Length of ICU stay (days) | 17.6 ± 19.5 | 16.2 ± 14.8 | 18.6 ± 22.7 | 0.939 |
| Length of hospital stay (days) | 27.5 ± 20.9 | 20.5 ± 17.5 | 30.4 ± 21.7 | 0.103 |
| In-hospital mortality | 17 (28.3%) | |||
Data were presented as mean ± SD or numbers (%)
aPulmonary diseases included interstitial lung disease (20 cases), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1 case), asthma (1 case), bronchiectasis (1 case), inactive pulmonary tuberculosis (2 cases), diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (2 cases) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (2 cases)