Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Patientsa.
| Characteristic | No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gram stain–guided group (n = 103) | Guideline-based group (n = 103) | |
| Age, median (IQR), y | 69 (54-78) | 69 (54-78) |
| Female sex | 37 (35.9) | 28 (27.2) |
| Male sex | 66 (64.1) | 75 (72.8) |
| Diagnosis on ICU admission | ||
| Trauma | 28 (27.2) | 27 (26.2) |
| Postcardiopulmonary arrest syndrome | 25 (24.3) | 24 (23.3) |
| Stroke | 11 (10.7) | 10 (9.7) |
| Other | 39 (37.9) | 42 (40.8) |
| mCPIS, median (IQR)b | ||
| Overall | 6 (5-7) | 6 (5-7) |
| Temperature | 1 (0-2) | 1 (0-2) |
| Leukocytes | 0 (0-1) | 0 (0-2) |
| Pao2/Fio2 | 0 (0-2) | 0 (0-2) |
| Chest radiograph | 2 (2-2) | 2 (2-2) |
| Tracheal secretions | 2 (2-2) | 2 (2-2) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Diabetes | 27 (26.2) | 26 (25.2) |
| Chronic | ||
| Heart failure | 22 (21.4) | 16 (15.5) |
| Respiratory disorder | 6 (5.8) | 6 (5.8) |
| Hemodialysis | 5 (4.9) | 5 (4.9) |
| Liver cirrhosis | 4 (3.9) | 1 (1.0) |
| Immunocompromised | 3 (2.9) | 4 (3.9) |
| Previous antibiotic therapy | 30 (29.1) | 27 (26.2) |
| Length of ICU stay before randomization, d | ||
| ≥5 | 53 (51.5) | 49 (47.6) |
| <5 | 50 (48.5) | 54 (52.4) |
| Sepsis | 36 (35.0) | 33 (32.0) |
| Septic shock | 6 (5.8) | 3 (2.9) |
| Acute kidney injuryc | 20 (19.4) | 13 (12.6) |
| APACHE II score, median (IQR)d | 18 (14-24) | 19 (15-23) |
| SOFA score, median, (IQR)e | 7 (5-9) | 5 (7-9) |
Abbreviations: APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; ICU, intensive care unit; Fio2, fraction of inspired oxygen; mCPIS, modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score; Pao2, partial pressure of oxygen; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.
a
Percentages may not total to 100 because of rounding.
b
The mCPIS ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater likelihood of VAP.
c
Acute kidney injury was diagnosed according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes definition.
d
APACHE II scores range from 0 to 71, with higher scores indicating a higher risk of death.
e
SOFA scores range from 0 to 24 (from 0 to 4 for each of the 6 organ systems), with higher scores indicating more severe organ dysfunction.