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Table 1 Characteristics and outcomes of severe sepsis patients (N =1,350) across three groups

From: Prehospital intravenous access and fluid resuscitation in severe sepsis: an observational cohort study

Variable

No catheter or fluid

Catheter alone

Catheter and fluid

Number (%)

948 (70)

90 (7)

312 (23)

Age, mean (SD) years

71 (15)

73 (13)

68 (16)

Male, number (%)

409 (43)

45 (51)

145 (47)

Prehospital location, number (%)

   

 Nursing home

65 (7)

4 (4)

17 (5)

 Medical facility

143 (15)

16 (18)

59 (19)

 Home

676 (71)

67 (74)

212 (68)

Paramedic diagnostic category, number (%)

   

 Cardiovascular

53 (5)

23 (26)

65 (21)

 Respiratory

194 (20)

46 (51)

104 (33)

 Neurological

131 (14)

6 (7)

29 (9)

EMS severity index, number (%)a

   

 Life-threatening

3 (2)

24 (27)

108 (35)

 Urgent

49 (33)

57 (64)

173 (56)

 Non-urgent

95 (64)

8 (9)

30 (10)

Prehospital critical illness score, mean (SD)

1.72 (0.93)

3.1 (0.89)

3.2 (0.90)

Prehospital intervals, mean (SD) minutes

   

 Response to scene

6.3 (3.2)

7.0 (4.3)

6.3 (3.4)

 Arrived at scene to cleared scene

25.8 (11.3)

42.9 (18.6)

45.4 (18.8)

 Cleared scene to hospital

14.0 (10.2)

9.2 (4.2)

10.6 (6.6)

Prehospital vital signs

   

 Systolic blood pressure ≤110 mmHg, number (%)

288 (30)

15 (16)

155 (50)

 Systolic blood pressure, mmHg mean (SD)

124 (34)

147 (43)

117 (48)

 Respiratory rate, breaths per min, mean (SD)

21 (7)

29 (11)

25 (12)

 Heart rate, beats per minute, mean (SD)

93 (22)

103 (30)

103 (31)

 Glasgow Coma Scale score, mean (SD)

13.6 (2.8)

12.4 (4.2)

11.1 (4.5)

Prehospital interventions, number (%)

   

 Intubation

1 (<1)

34 (38)

117 (38)

 Bag valve mask ventilation

4 (<1)

33 (37)

104 (33)

 EKG monitoring

147 (16)

88 (98)

307 (98)

 Supplemental oxygen

394 (42)

90 (100)

311 (100)

Transport from scene, number (%)

   

 Advanced life support

30 (3)

83 (92)

262 (86)

 Basic life support

80 (9)

0 (0)

4 (1)

 Private ambulance

799 (88)

7 (8)

39 (13)

Outcomes, number (%)

   

 Organ failures present, mean (SD)

1.4 (0.9)

1.8 (1.2)

2.1 (1.4)

 ICU admission

405 (43)

64 (71)

243 (78)

 Hospital mortality

120 (13)

14 (16)

71 (23)

  1. aEMS Severity index determined by first arriving EMS clinician, as part of routine assessment with vital signs. EKG, electrocardiogram; EMS, emergency medical services; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.