Table 1.
Characteristics of the patients enrolled in the study
| Demographics | Total population n = 278 |
Respondents n = 205 |
Non-Respondents n = 73 |
p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age—years (IQR) | 64.5 (57–70) | 63 (55–70) | 66 (61–71) | 0.043 |
| Sex—male—no (%) | 206 (74.1%) | 149 (72.7%) | 57 (78.1%) | 0.366 |
| BMI—kg/m2 (IQR) | 28 (26–31) | 28 (26–31) | 28 (26–31) | 0.608 |
| Comorbidities | n = 278 | n = 205 | n = 73 | p |
| Hypertension—no (%) | 144 (51.8%) | 102 (49.8%) | 42 (57.5%) | 0.253 |
| Chronic ischemic heart disease—no (%) | 23 (8.3%) | 14 (6.8%) | 9 (12.3%) | 0.143 |
| Chronic kidney disease (CKD) | 13 (4.7%) | 7 (3.4%) | 6 (8.2%) | 0.110 |
| COPD—no (%) | 18 (6.5%) | 15 (7.3%) | 3 (4.1%) | 0.418 |
| Diabetes—no (%) | 48 (17.3%) | 34 (16.6%) | 14 (19.2%) | 0.615 |
| Chronic liver disease (MELD > 10)—no (%) | 1 (0.4%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.4%) | 0.263 |
| Active cancer—no (%) | 1 (0.4%) | 1 (0.5%) | 0 (0%) | 1.000 |
| Number of comorbidities—no (%) | ||||
| 0 | 111 (39.9%) | 87 (42.4%) | 24 (32.9%) | 0.297 |
| 1 | 108 (38.8%) | 78 (38%) | 30 (41.1%) | |
| 2 | 43 (15.5%) | 30 (14.6%) | 13 (17.8%) | |
| 3 | 10 (3.6%) | 5 (2.4%) | 5 (6.8%) | |
| 4 | 6 (2.2%) | 5 (2.4%) | 1 (1.4%) | |
| Intensive care and hospital stay | n = 278 | n = 205 | n = 73 | p |
| SAPS II score (IQR) | 35 (30–42) | 35 (29–42) | 35 (30–43) | 0.644 |
| SOFA score at ICU admission (IQR) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (3–6) | 4 (3–7) | 0.044 |
| Intravenous corticosteroids | 183 (65.8%) | 140 (68.3%) | 43 (58.9%) | 0.146 |
| Neuromuscular blocking agents continuous infusion | 249 (89.6%) | 186 (90.7%) | 63 (86.3%) | 0.288 |
| Prone positioning | 175 (62.9%) | 130 (63.4%) | 45 (61.6%) | 0.780 |
| Vasoactive drugs | 171 (62%) | 125 (61.3%) | 46 (63.9%) | 0.694 |
| ARDS class-no (%) | ||||
| Mild (PaO2/FiO2 200–300) | 14 (5%) | 8 (3.9%) | 6 (8.2%) | 0.234 |
| Moderate (PaO2/FiO2 100–200) | 153 (55%) | 111 (54.1%) | 42 (57.5%) | |
| Severe (PaO2/FiO2 < 100) | 111 (40%) | 86 (42%) | 25 (34.2%) | |
| Tracheostomy—no (%) | 171 (61.5%) | 125 (61%) | 46 (63%) | 0.759 |
| Renal replacement therapy—no (%) | 29 (10.4%) | 15 (7.3%) | 14 (19.2%) | 0.004 |
| Length of invasive mechanical ventilation—d (IQR) | 16 (10–28) | 16 (10–27) | 18 (11–35) | 0.092 |
| Length of ICU stay—d (IQR) | 23 (15–38) | 23 (15–35) | 26 (14–46) | 0.238 |
| Length of hospital stay (n = 248)*—d (IQR) | 43 (30–61) | 42 (31–57) | 55 (28–79.5) | 0.142 |
| Socioeconomic variables | n = 226* | n = 205 | n = 21* | p |
| Marital status—married/cohabitee—no (%) | 170 (75.2%) | 156 (76.4%) | 14 (66.7%) | 0.340 |
| Instruction degree—high school or higher—no (%) | 147 (65.0%) | 130 (63.4%) | 17 (81%) | 0.108 |
| Actual occupational status | ||||
| Employed—no (%) | 113 (50.0%) | 100 (48.8%) | 13 (61.9%) | 0.335 |
| Unemployed—no (%) | 13 (5.8%) | 13 (6.3%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Retiree—no (%) | 98 (44.2%) | 92 (44.9%) | 8 (38.1%) | |
*Incomplete data due to the impossibility to contact the non-responders
BMI Body Mass Index, COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, MELD Model for End stage Liver Disease, SAPS Simplified Acute Physiology Score, SOFA Sequential Organ Assessment Score, ICU Intensive Care Unit, ARDS Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome