Decreases in procalcitonin and C-reactive protein are strong predictors of survival in ventilator-associated pneumonia

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 75 patients who developed ventilator-associated pneumonia

Parameter	Survivors (n = 46)	Non-survivors (n = 29)	Total (n = 75)	p
Age (years)^a	58 ± 14)	64 ± 16	61 ± 15	0.09
APACHE II score^a	18 ± 6	22 ± 9	19 ± 7	0.02
Albumin level (mg/dl)^a	2.8 ± 0.6	2.5 ± 0.5	2.7 ± 0.6	0.02
Male sex (percentage)	67.4	44.8	58.7	0.06
Origin (percentage)				0.23
Medical	52.2	69.0	58.7
Surgical	47.8	31.0	41.3
Onset (percentage)^b				0.59
Early onset	21.7	27.6	24.0
Late onset	78.3	72.4	76.0
COPD (percentage)	17.4	27.6	21.3	0.39
Congestive heart failure (percentage)	17.4	27.6	21.3	0.39
Malignancy (percentage)	13.1	13.8	13.3	1.00
H2 antagonist (percentage)	67.4	55.2	62.7	0.33
Proton pump inhibitor (percentage)	21.7	37.9	28.0	0.19
Corticosteroids (percentage)	13.1	24.1	17.3	0.23
Dialysis (percentage)	10.9	17.3	13.3	0.50
Smoker (percentage)	37.8	44.8	40.5	0.63
Intubation (percentage)				0.39
Orotracheal	84.8	89.7	87.8
Nasotracheal	2.2	3.5	2.7
Tracheotomy	13.1	3.5	9.5
Septic status (percentage)				0.04
Sepsis	67.4	13.8	46.7
Severe sepsis	28.3	34.5	30.7
Septic shock	4.4	51.7	22.7

APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ^aResults are means ± SD. ^bEarly onset is defined as occurring during the first four days of mechanical ventilation, and late onset as occurring five or more days after mechanical ventilation.

ISSN: 1364-8535