TABLE 1.
Population characteristics.
| Number of evaluated patients | 73 |
|
| N | % | |
| Age: | ||
| <65 years | 46 | 63.0 |
| ≥65 years | 27 | 37.0 |
| Sex: | ||
| Male | 52 | 71.2 |
| Female | 21 | 28.8 |
| Patient location before admission: | ||
| Home | 56 | 76.7 |
| Transferred from another hospital or from a long-term facility | 17 | 23.3 |
| Geographical area (Italy): | ||
| North | 45 | 61.6 |
| Center/south | 28 | 38.4 |
| Period of hospitalization: | ||
| February 2020–September 2020 | 34 | 46.6 |
| October 2020–April 2021 | 39 | 53.4 |
| Comorbidities: | ||
| Chronic respiratory disease | 16 | 21.9 |
| Neoplastic disease | 9 | 12.3 |
| Diabetes | 18 | 24.7 |
| Chronic renal failure | 13 | 17.8 |
| Antibiotics in the first 48 h from admission: | ||
| Any | 40 | 54.8 |
| Azithromycin | 18 | 24.7 |
| Ceftriaxone | 17 | 23.3 |
| Piperacillin-tazobactam | 11 | 15.1 |
| Others | 10 | 13.7 |
| Systemic steroids in the first 48 h from admission | 30 | 41.1 |
| Number of microorganisms isolated from blood cultures during hospitalization: | ||
| One, single episode/culture | 45 | 61.6 |
| Two, single episode/culture | 6 | 8.2 |
| Two, different episodes/cultures | 17 | 23.3 |
| Three, different episodes/cultures | 4 | 5.5 |
| Four, different episodes/cultures | 1 | 1.4 |
| Admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) during hospitalization | 53 | 72.6 |
| Sepsis reported as a cause of death in the death certificate | 36 | 49.3 |
| Days from hospital admission to ICU admission (median, IQR) | 3 (0–8) | |
| Days from hospital admission to first positive blood culture (median, IQR) | 20 (13–29.5) | |
| Days from ICU admission to first positive blood culture (median, IQR) | 14 (8–20.5) | |
| Days from hospital admission to death (median, IQR) | 35 (21–59) | |
| Days from ICU admission to death (median, IQR) | 34 (16–50) | |
IQR, interquartile range.