Early initiation of low-dose corticosteroid therapy in the management of septic shock: a retrospective observational study

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 178 patients with septic shock receiving low-dose corticosteroid therapy

Characteristics	Number (%) or median (interquartile range)
Age, years	66 (54-71)
Sex, male	107 (60)
Severity of illness
SAPS 3	81 (72-90)
SOFA	11 (9-13)
Site of infection
Lung	80 (45)
Gastrointestinal tract	47 (26)
Urinary tract	19 (11)
Catheter related	5 (3)
Skin and soft tissue	6 (3)
Others	21 (12)
Acquisition of infection
Community	129 (72)
Hospital	49 (28)
Locale before ICU admission
Emergency department	119 (67)
General ward	59 (33)
Positive culture
At any site	104 (58)
Gram-positive only	33/104 (32)
Gram-negative only	55/104 (53)
Fungus only	4/104 (4)
Mixed	12/104 (12)
Of blood	67 (37)
Gram-positive only	24/67 (36)
Gram-negative only	36/67 (54)
Fungus only	2/67 (3)
Mixed	5/67 (7)
Time to initiation of antibiotic therapy, hour	0 (-5.4 - 1.4)
Appropriate antibiotics^a	82/104 (79)
Organ failure^b
Respiratory	138 (78)
Coagulation	109 (61)
Liver	64 (36)
Renal	67 (38)
Amount of fluid administered before vasopressor, L	1.6 (1.0-2.2)
Vasopressor (norepinephrine or equivalent) dose, μg/kg/min	0.48 (0.29 - 0.80)
Need for mechanical ventilation	124 (70)
Need for renal replacement therapy	58 (33)
CIRCI^c	78/96 (81)
Relative adrenal insufficiency^c	71/96 (74)
Time to initiation of low-dose corticosteroid therapy, hour	8.5 (3.8-19.1)

CIRCI, critical-illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency; SAPS, Simplified Acute Physiology Score; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment. ^aAppropriate antibiotics were based on the site of infection and available cultures.; ^bOrgan failure was defined as SOFA score of 2 or more per system; ^cResults of adrenocorticotropic hormone test were available for 96 (54%) patients.

ISSN: 1364-8535