Table 1.
Comparison of data collected on all patients presenting by EMS with all septic patients who were walk-ins to the University of New Mexico ED
| EMS | Walk-in | Difference (95% CI) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | 378 (78%) | 107(28%) | — | |
| Patient characteristics | ||||
| Age, y (IQR) | 59 (57–60) | 52 (49–55) | 7 (6–7) | <0.01 |
| Male sex (%) | 195 (54) | 60 (60) | 6% | NS |
| AMS (%) | 216 (57) | 34 (32) | 26% | <0.01 |
| Direct to resuscitation room (%) | 282 (78) | 64 (64) | 14% | <0.01 |
| SIRS criteria | ||||
| Temperature (IQR) | 36.8 (36.5–37.1) | 36.9 (36.6–37.1) | 0.1 | NS |
| Heart rate (IQR) | 110 (107–113) | 112 (107–117) | 2 | NS |
| Respiratory rate (IQR) | 25 (24–26) | 23 (22–24) | 2 | 0.047 |
| WBC (IQR) | 15.3 (14.4–16.3) | 15.7 (13.5–18.0) | 0.4 | NS |
| Illness severity | ||||
| Lactates (IQR) | 5.0 (4.6–5.3) | 5.8 (5.1–6.4) | 0.8 | <0.01 |
| Lactates >4.0 (%) | 70 (65) | 199 (53) | 12% | 0.02 |
| SIRS criteria (IQR) | 2.7 (2.6–2.8) | 2.5 (2.3–2.7) | 0.2 | 0.01 |
| Patients in shock (%) | 326 (76) | 89 (79) | 3% | NS |
| APACHE II score (IQR) | 16 (16–17) | 14 (13–15) | 2 | <0.01 |
| SOFA score (IQR) | 5 (3–7) | 5 (2–7) | 0 | NS |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Time to antibiotics, median minutes (IQR) | 87 (44–157) | 120 (141–271) | 33 | 0.02 |
| Time to central line, median minutes (IQR) | 200 (89–368) | 275 (122–470) | 75 | <0.01 |
| Length of stay if discharged alive, median days (IQR) | 15 (13–17) | 14 (10–17) | 2 | NS |
| Mortality (%) | 113 (30) | 34 (31) | 1% | NS |
AMS, altered mental status; APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; CI, confidence interval; ED, emergency department; EMS, emergency medical services; IQR, interquartile range; NS, not significant; SIRS, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; WBC, white blood cell count.