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Table 4 Baseline characteristics, therapy, and outcomes between early (≤ 6 hour) and late (> 6 hour) low-dose corticosteroid therapy groups

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

Variables

Early group, ≤ 6 hour (number = 66)

Late group, > 6 hour (number = 112)

P-value

Age, years

67 (55-71)

65 (53-71)

0.8142

Sex, male

42 (64)

65 (58)

0.4611

Severity of illness

   

   SAPS 3

80 (71-89)

82 (72-91)

0.146

   SOFA

11 (9-13)

11 (9-14)

0.6498

Site of infection

  

0.7997

   Lung

27 (41)

53 (47)

 

   Gastrointestinal tract

20 (30)

27 (24)

 

   Urinary tract

9 (14)

10 (9)

 

   Catheter related

3 (4)

2 (2)

 

   Skin and soft tissue

1 (2)

5 (4)

 

   Others

6 (9)

15 (14)

 

Bacteremia

28 (42)

39 (35)

0.3119

Time to initiation of antibiotic therapy, hour

0.1 (-3.3-1.2)

0.1 (-4.9-1.9)

0.9659

Appropriate antibioticsa

36/42 (86)

46/62 (74)

0.1581

Laboratory data

   

   Leukocytes, 103/mm3

6.9 (0.3-16.5)

10.2 (0.1-18.1)

0.1797

   Platelet, 103/mm3

75 (35-148)

68 (40-155)

0.5662

   Total bilirubin, mg/dL

1.4 (0.9-2.7)

1.4 (0.9-1.7)

0.9519

   Creatinine, mg/dL

1.7 (1.0-2.5)

1.4 (0.9-2.4)

0.1673

   Prothrombin time, s

61 (47-68)

54 (42-66)

0.2931

   Albumin, g/dL

3.0 (2.3-3.3)

2.6 (2.4-3.1)

0.0811

   Initial lactate, mmol/L

4.1 (2.8-5.7)

3.8 (2.6-6.6)

0.8798

Organ failureb

   

   Respiratory

48 (73)

90 (80)

0.2388

   Coagulation

43 (65)

66 (59)

0.4105

   Liver

24 (36)

40 (36)

0.9305

   Renal

28 (42)

39 (35)

0.3119

Amount of fluid administered before vasopressor, L

1.6 (1.0-2.3)

1.5 (1.1-2.2)

0.1932

Vasopressor (norepinephrine or equivalent) dose, μg/kg/min

0.50 (0.32-1.06)

0.52 (0.29-0.80)

0.6277

Need for mechanical ventilation

38 (58)

86 (77)

0.0071

Need for renal replacement therapy

19 (29)

39 (35)

0.4068

CIRCIc

16/23 (70)

62/73 (85)

0.1269

Relative adrenal insufficiencyc

15/23 (65)

56/73 (77)

0.2733

Outcomes

   

   Reversal of shock

50 (76)

70 (63)

0.0683

   ICU mortality

21 (32)

55 (49)

0.0243

   Length of stay in ICU, days

4 (3-8)

7 (4-12)

0.004

   28-day mortality

21 (32)

57 (51)

0.0132

   90-day mortality

27 (41)

72 (64)

0.0024

   In-hospital mortality

29 (44)

75 (67)

0.0026

   Length of stay in hospital, days

16 (7-28)

18 (7-30)

0.6974

  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. cThe results of adrenocorticotropic hormone test were available for 96 (54%) patients.
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