Table 1.
Characteristics of patients, overall and stratified according to the use of extreme therapies (eTIL) over the first week since ICU admission
| Characteristics | Overall N = 2320 |
No eTIL N = 2025 (87.3%) |
eTIL N = 295 (12.7%) |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), median (I-III quartiles) | 55 (39, 69) | 56 (40, 69) | 49.00 (35, 62) | < 0.001 |
| Female, n (%) | 800 (34.5) | 694 (34.3) | 106 (35.9) | 0.621 |
| Low-Middle income countries, n (%) | 409 (17.6) | 356 (17.6) | 53 (18) | 0.936 |
| Alcohol use, n (%) | 269 (63) | 232 (62.5) | 37 (66.1) | 0.717 |
| Drug use, n (%) | 83 (21.1) | 71 (20.7) | 12 (24) | 0.727 |
| Smoker, n (%) | 274 (66.8) | 239 (66.4) | 35 (70) | 0.728 |
| Cardiovascular history, n (%) | 949 (42.4) | 859 (44) | 90 (31.4) | < 0.001 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 844 (89.2) | 764 (89.1) | 80 (89.9) | 0.972 |
| Neurological comorbidities, n (%) | 279 (12.5) | 243 (12.4) | 36 (12.6) | 1.000 |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | 0.014 | |||
| ICH | 572 (24.7) | 518 (25.6) | 54 (18.3) | |
| SAH | 409 (17.6) | 346 (17.1) | 63 (21.4) | |
| TBI | 1339 (57.7) | 1161 (57.3) | 178 (60.3) | |
| Pupils at admission, n (%) | 0.346 | |||
| Both reactive | 1443 (66) | 1268 (66.4) | 175 (63.2) | |
| One reactive | 260 (11.9) | 220 (11.5) | 40 (14.4) | |
| Both unreactive | 484 (22.1) | 422 (22.1) | 62 (22.4) | |
| GCS ≤ 8 at admission, n (%) | 1916 (85.6) | 1673 (85.3) | 243 (87.7) | 0.319 |
| GCS at admission, n (%) | 0.516 | |||
| 3–5 | 1164 (52) | 1019 (51.9) | 145 (52.3) | |
| 6–8 | 752 (33.6) | 654 (33.3) | 98 (35.4) | |
| > 8 | 323 (14.4) | 289 (14.7) | 34 (12.3) | |
| Neuroworsening*, n (%) | 813 (36.2) | 653 (33.3) | 160 (56.1) | < 0.001 |
| Neurosurgical intervention at day 1, n (%) | 349 (15) | 286 (14.1) | 63 (21.4) | 0.002 |
| ICPm, n (%) | 1258 (54.2) | 1037 (51.2) | 221 (74.9) | < 0.001 |
| Highly pathological CT scan, n (%) | 1494 (64.4) | 1288 (63.6) | 206 (69.8) | 0.043 |
N number, GCS Glasgow Coma Scale, ICH Intracerebral haemorrhage, SAH Subarachnoid haemorrhage, TBI Traumatic brain injury, ICPm Intracranial pressure monitoring
*Neuroworsening was defined as one or more of the following: a spontaneous decrease in the GCS motor score of 2 points or more compared with the previous examination; a new loss of pupillary reactivity, development of pupillary asymmetry ≥ 2 mm deterioration in neurological or Computed Tomography status sufficient to warrant immediate medical or surgical intervention; CT scan, defined as Marshall classification 3 or more (for patients with TBI), Fisher grade 3 or more (for patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage), or intracranial haemorrhage volume 30 mL or more (for patients with intracranial haemorrhage)