Table 1 Demographic and clinical variables and outcome of patients classified by serum chloride status

 Age, yr, mean ± SD

57.5 ± 15.1

52.9 ± 18.4

0.05

 Male, %

46.9

55.6

0.38

 Hypertension, %

36.7

28.2

0.074

 Ischemic heart disease, %

6.1

5.6

0.65

 CHF, %

4.1

8.5

0.10

 DM, %

21.4

21.1

0.71

 COPD, %

21.4

18.3

0.086

 Cirrhosis, %

7.1

4.9

0.082

 Malignancy, %

4.1

5.6

0.20

 HIV, %

11.2

9.2

0.56

 Chronic steroid treatment, %

5.1

6.3

0.91

 MAP, mean ± SD

85 ± 21

89 ± 17

0.12

 HR, mean ± SD

104 ± 22

96 ± 21

0.003^a

 Lactate, mean ± SD

2.9 ± 2.8

2.5 ± 2.4

0.29

 Creatinine(mg/dL), median (IQR)

1.0 (0.7-1.4)

0.9 (0.4-1.4)

0.49

 APACHE II score, mean ± SD

11.3 ± 5.0

7.8 ± 5.4

<0.001^a

 Vasopressor, %

31

11

<0.001^a

 Mechanical ventilator, %

64

32

<0.001^a

 Fluid intake, mean ± SD

4959 ± 3,417

4691 ± 2,341

0.71

 Urine output, mean ± SD

2416 ± 1,146

2554 ± 1,463

0.644

 Initial chloride ([Cl^-]₀), mean ± SD

104.3 ± 7.7

103.7 ± 4.6

0.51

 Maximal Cl in 48 hours ([Cl^-]_max)

104.4 ± 3.7

114.4 ± 3.6

<0.001^a

 Increase in serum Cl (Δ[Cl^-])

3.2 ± 4.2

6.1 ± 5.0

<0.001^a

 AKI, %

85.7

47.9

<0.001^a

 RRT, %

7.1

3.5

0.206

 28-day mortality, %

6.1

1.4

0.066