Table 1 Patient characteristics

Age (years)

65 (57–75)

71 (61–76)

69 (60–75)

0.10

Male

53 (61)

60 (66)

113 (64)

0.64

APACHE II

21 (17–26)

23 (17–29)

22 (17–28)

0.28

SAPS II

39 (30–49)

44 (31–58)

41 (31–53)

0.12

ICU LOS (days)

6 (3–12)

8 (4–16)

7 (4–13)

0.05

Hospital LOS (days)

21 (12–46)

31 (18–70)

25 (13–58)

0.09

ICU Outcome

0.83

 Died

10 (12)

13 (14)

23 (13)

 Discharged

75 (87)

77 (85)

152 (86)

 Transferred

1 (1)

1 (1)

2 (1)

Hospital Outcome

0.08

 Died

22 (26)

25 (27)

47 (27)

 Discharged Home

44 (51)

37 (41)

81 (46)

 Transferred

17 (20)

29 (32)

46 (26)

 Not recorded

3 (3)

0 (0)

3 (2)

Weight (kg)

80 (69–100)

(n = 79)

75 (65–90)

(n = 87)

78 (66–95)

(n = 166)

0.15

Height (cm)

170

(165–175)

(n = 76)

170

(162–175)

(n = 84)

170

(162–175)

(n = 160)

0.73

Body Mass Index

28 (25–34)

(n = 76)

26 (24–31)

(n = 84)

28 (24–33)

(n = 160)

0.06

Charlson Score

2 (1–4)

3 (2–5)

2 (1–4)

0.01

Concurrent use of digoxin*

9 (10)

25 (27)

34 (19)

0.004

Concurrent use of beta-blockers

46 (53)

42 (46)

88 (50)

0.37