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Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics

From: Melatonin therapy to improve nocturnal sleep in critically ill patients: encouraging results from a small randomised controlled trial

Characteristic

Placebo (n = 12)

Melatonin (n = 12)

Male, number (percentage)

7 (58.3)

4 (33.3)

Reason for ICU admission, number (percentage)

  

   Severe sepsis

8 (66.7)

10 (83.3)

   Postoperative respiratory failure

2 (16.7)

1 (8.3)

   Pneumonia

2 (16.7)

1 (8.3)

Age in years, mean (SD)

58.7 (12.5)

69.9 (12.0)

APACHE II score on study entry, mean (SD)

16.8 (3.4)

17.3 (3.8)

Actual body weight in kilograms, median (IQR)

69.0 (57.4; 77.5)

65.0 (63.5; 70.0)

Ideal body weight in kilograms, mean (SD)

60.0 (6.9)

57.2 (6.5)

Body mass index, mean (SD)

24.6 (4.7)

25.0 (3.1)

Patients' usual sleep quantity in hoursa, mean (SD)

6.5 (1.57)

6.2 (2.07)

ICU length of stay prior to study in days, median (IQR)

16.5 (13.0; 20.5)

16.5 (11.0; 19.0)

Time of ventilation prior to study in days, mean (SD)

20.0 (14.3)

13.6 (6.5)

Sedation (morphine/midazolam) prior to study, number (percentage)

2 (16.7)

2 (16.7)

Time since sedation stopped prior to study in days, mean (SD)

6.6 (2.9)

7.5 (4.7)

Delirium during study period, number (percentage)

1 (8.3)

4 (33.3)

Ventilation mode on nights 3 and 4, number (percentage)

  

   BiPAP/CPAP-ASB

7 (70.0)

7 (58.3)

   External CPAP/Hi-flow oxygen

3 (30.0)

5 (41.7)

  1. aUsual sleep time at home as reported by the patient. APACHE II, Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II; BiPAP, biphasic positive airway pressure; CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure; CPAP-ASB, continuous positive airway pressure with assisted spontaneous breathing; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.