Table 1 Baseline characteristics for the entire cohort of patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections and for the septic shock and nonshock (no sepsis, sepsis, severe sepsis) subgroups

Age, years

61 (52–69)

58 (48–70)

62 (54–69)

0.426

Sex, male

84 (62)

24 (62)

60 (63)

0.917

Body mass index, kg/m²

26 (23–31)

24 (22–31)

27 (25–32)

0.017

 Chronic disease

86 (64)

28 (72)

58 (60)

0.213

  Diabetes

30 (22)

10 (26)

20 (21)

0.543

  Liver cirrhosis

5 (4)

1 (3)

4 (4)

0.655

  Chronic kidney disease

12 (9)

6 (15)

6 (6)

0.104

  Cardiovascular disease

58 (43)

21 (54)

37 (39)

0.103

  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

14 (10)

3 (8)

11 (12)

0.757

  Peripheral vascular disease

20 (15)

8 (21)

12 (13)

0.235

  Immune deficiency/AIDS

3 (2)

2 (5)

1 (1)

0.200

  Malignancy

15 (11)

3 (8)

12 (13)

0.553

  Rheumatoid disease

10 (7)

2 (5)

8 (8)

0.723

 Active smoker

40 (30)

9 (23)

31 (32)

0.366

 High alcohol consumption^a

19 (14)

3 (8)

16 (17)

0.191

 Steroid treatment

16 (12)

4 (10)

12 (13)

0.277

 Immunosuppressing drugs

12 (9)

3 (8)

9 (9)

0.281

 Head/neck

21 (15)

6 (16)

15 (16)

0.972

 Upper extremity

15 (11)

3 (8)

12 (13)

0.553

 Lower extremity

47 (35)

13 (33)

34 (35)

0.818

 Chest

5 (4)

2 (5)

3 (3)

0.626

 Abdomen

11 (8)

2 (5)

9 (9)

0.510

 Genital/perineum

36 (27)

13 (33)

23 (24)

0.264

 Positive cultures

100 (74)

25 (64)

75 (78)

0.128

 Polymicrobial

54 (40)

13 (33)

41 (43)

0.339

 Beta-hemolytic streptococcus

46 (34)

9 (23)

37 (39)

0.120

 Staphylococcus aureus

14 (10)

2 (5)

12 (13)

0.350

 Anaerobes

23 (17)

9 (23)

14 (15)

0.312

 Gram negative rods

25 (19)

6 (15)

19 (20)

0.632

 Other

15 (11)

5 (13)

10 (10)

0.764