Table 1 Description of the patients on admission to the ICU: comparison between ICU survivors and non-survivors

Age (years)

59 ± 18

67 ± 18

0.080

Gender (n, male; female)

49; 22

13; 5

0.518

APACHE II score

15 ± 7

23 ± 5

<0.001

SOFA score

6 ± 3

11 ± 5

<0.001

Admission diagnosis (n)

0.131

 Trauma (36)

33

3

 Neurologic (20)

17

3

 Respiratory (8)

6

2

 Sepsis (8)

5

3

 Surgery^a (7)

4

3

 Cardiac (3)

2

1

 Other (7)

4

3

Comorbidities (n)

0.362

 None (34)

30

4

 Arterial hypertension (27)

20

7

 Chronic vascular disease (17)

11

6

 Cardiac disease (24)

16

8

 Chronic respiratory disease (15)

8

7

 Diabetes mellitus (14)

12

2

 Obesity (13)

9

4

 Cancer (8)

5

3

 Hypercholesterolaemia (6)

4

2

 Chronic renal failure (6)

4

2

ICU length of stay

9 (5–15)

3 (2–11)

0.006

Heart rate (bpm)

80 ± 22

93 ± 28

0.036

Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)

87 (74–95)

74 (56–87)

0.046

Hb (g/dL)

11 ± 1.5

11 ± 2.3

0.959

Arterial lactate (mmol/L)

1.3 (0.9–1.8)

3.1 (1.5–5.6)

<0.001

Any vaspressor

0.006

 Yes

34

15

 No

37

3