Table 1 Patient characteristics

Age (years)

79 (16)

75 (20)

80 (12)

71 (25)

NS

Sex (n; male/female)

33/24

7/3

16/16

10/5

NS

First cortisol level (μg/dl)

42.9 (14.8)

49.3 (27.7)

41.4 (17.3)

42.0 (20.9)

NS

Second cortisol level (μg/dl)

22.3 (15.8)

45.1 (25.5)

23.4 (9.3)

9.6 (8.8)

< 0.05

Change in cortisol level (μg/dl)

24.7 (28.7)

0.8 (13.3)

21.1 (16.9)

34.8 (16.7)

< 0.05

Time interval between both cortisol tests (days)

8 (5)

8 (3)

8 (6)

9 (5)

NS

Etiologies (n)

   Pneumonia

23

5

11

7

NS

   Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation

3

0

1

2

NS

   Sepsis

15

2

8

5

NS

   Hypovolemic shock

3

0

3

0

NS

   Cerebrovascular accident

2

0

1

1

NS

   Congestive heart failure

3

0

3

0

NS

   Arrhythmia

3

1

2

0

NS

   Acute myocardial infarction

5

2

3

0

NS

Diabetes mellitus (n)

17

4

12

1

NS

Malignancy (n)

12

1

10

1

NS

First albumin level (g/dL)

3.0 (0.7)

3.0 (0.6)

2.9 (1.0)

3.0 (0.7)

NS

Second albumin level (g/dL)

2.8 (0.8)

2.6 (0.5)

2.9 (1.1)

2.8 (0.6)

NS

First SOFA score

9 (5)

10 (8)

9 (6)

8 (3)

NS

Second SOFA score

10 (5)

13 (9)

10 (6)

9 (3)

NS

First APACHE II score

21 (8)

22 (11)

21 (8)

19 (9)

NS

Second APACHE II score

21 (9)

22 (10)

21 (7)

18 (10)

NS

Change in body temperature (°C)

0.0 (1.1)

0.2 (3.1)

0.0 (0.8)

0.0 (1.0)

NS

First dopamine dosage (μg/kg/min)

6.0 (11.0)

6.0 (20.0)

5.0 (4.8)

6.0 (13.0)

NS

Second dopamine dosage (μg/kg/min)

4.0 (8.0)

5.0 (10.0)

3.5 (6.8)

4.0 (9.0)

NS

First norepinephrine dosage (μg/min)

2.0 (1.0)

4.0 (4.0)

2.0 (1.0)

2.0 (1.0)

NS

Second norepinephrine dosage (μg/min)

3.0 (4.5)

3.5 (8.5)

2.0 (1.0)

4.0 (6.0)

NS

Mortality (n [%])

32 (56%)

6 (60%)

17 (53%)

9 (60%)

NS

Ventilator dependent (n [%])

7 (12%)

1 (10%)

3 (9%)

3 (20%)

NS

Mean ICU LOS (days)

28 (27)

23 (23)

26 (18)

41 (29)

NS

Mean hospital LOS (day)

41 (48)

32 (22)

35 (36)

69 (26)

NS