Table 1 Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the population

Age, years (median, Q1–Q3)

61 (51–68)

62 (53–68)

60 (49–70)

0.513

Age, years (mean, SD)

58.6 (± 15.8)

60.2 (± 14)

57 (± 17.3)

0.252

Female sex,n(%)

62 (47.7%)

30 (46.9%)

32 (48.5%)

0.854

Medical patient,n(%)

107 (82.3%)

53 (82.8%)

54 (81.8%)

0.882

 Heart failure

26 (20%)

14 (21.9%)

12 (18.2%)

0.599

 Solid malignancy

15 (11.5%)

7 (10.9%)

8 (12.1%)

0.934

 Hematologic malignancy

2 (1.5%)

1 (1.6%)

1 (1.5%)

1.0

 COPD

13 (10%)

8 (12.5%)

5 (7.6%)

0.348

 Cirrhosis

14 (10.8%)

8 (12.5%)

6 (9.1%)

0.531

 Chronic renal failure

20 (15.4%)

11 (17.2%)

9 (13.6%)

0.575

 Dialytic chronic renal failure

8 (6.2%)

5 (7.8%)

3 (4.5%)

0.438

 Hypertension

69 (53.1%)

38 (59.4%)

31 (47%)

0.157

 Diabetes

44 (33.8%)

25 (39.1%)

19 (28.8%)

0.216

 PLWHA

1 (0.8%)

1 (1.6%)

0 (0%)

0.308

Charlson (median, Q1–Q3)

4 (2–5)

4 (2–5)

3 (1.8–6)

0.126

SAPS 3 (median, Q1–Q3)

59 (50–70)

62 (49–70)

59 (51–70)

0.119

APACHE II (median, Q1–Q3)

18 (13–22)

18 (14–23)

16 (13–21)

0.909

SOFA (median, Q1–Q3)

7 (5–9)

7 (4–9)

6 (5–9)

0.356

 Respiration

2 (1–2)

2 (1–2)

2 (1–2)

0.618

 Coagulation

0 (0–1)

0 (0–2)

0 (0–1)

0.175

 Liver

0 (0–1)

0 (0–1)

0 (0–1)

0.584

 Cardiovascular

1 (0–4)

1 (0–4)

2 (0–4)

0.458

 CNS

1 (0–2)

1 (0–2)

0 (0–1)

0.071

 Renal

1 (0–3)

1 (0–4)

1 (0–3)

0.678

Sepsis classification,n(%)

0.502

 Infection

8 (6.2%)

5 (7.8%)

3 (4.5%)

 Sepsis

80 (61.5%)

41 (64.1%)

39 (59.1%)

 Septic shock

42 (32.3%)

18 (28.1%)

24 (36.4%)

First infection episode,n(%)

115 (88.5%)

54 (84.4%)

61 (92.4%)

0.151

Site of infection,n(%)

0.228

 Lungs

58 (44.6%)

27 (42.2%)

31 (47%)

 Abdomen

29 (22.3%)

13 (20.3%)

16 (24.2%)

 Urine

20 (15.4%)

8 (12.5%)

12 (18.2%)

 Catheter

6 (4.6%)

3 (4.7%)

3 (4.5%)

 Skin and soft tissue

5 (3.8%)

5 (7.8%)

0 (0%)

 CNS

2 (1.5%)

2 (3.1%)

0 (0%)

 Others

10 (7.7%)

6 (9.4%)

4 (6%)

Nosocomial infection,n(%)

74 (57%)

39 (61%)

35 (53%)

0.363

Positive microbiology,n(%)

66 (50.8%)

29 (45.3%)

37 (56.1%)

0.220

Positive blood culture,n(%)

40 (30.8%)

16 (25%)

24 (36.4%)

0.160

MDR infections,n(%)

29 (22.3%)

17 (26.5%)

12 (18.2%)

0.251

Appropriate empirical therapy,n(%)

117 (90%)

58 (90.6%)

59 (89.4%)

0.815

Ventilatory support first 72 h,n(%)

77 (59.2%)

39 (60.9%)

38 (57.6%)

0.697

Hemodialysis first 72 h,n(%)

33 (25.4%)

18 (28.1%)

15 (22.7%)

0.480

Inotropes first 72 h,n(%)

16 (12.3%)

9 (14.1%)

7 (10.6%)

0.549

Steroids first 72 h,n(%)

27 (20.8%)

16 (25%)

11 (16.7%)

0.242

Steroids for septic shock,n(%)

4 (3%)

2 (3.1%)

2 (3%)

0.369

Vasopressor first 72 h,n(%)

62 (47.7%)

31 (48.4%)

31 (47%)

0.867

Lactate mg/dl (median, Q1–Q3)

2 (1.5–2.8)

1.9 (1.4–2.4)

2 (1.6–3)

0.599

Leucocytes g/dl × 10³(median, Q1–Q3)

12 (8.7–16.8)

11.7 (8–15.1)

12.6 (9–17.8)

0.180

Neutrophil g/dl × 10³(median, Q1–Q3)

8.7 (6–13.3)

8.7 (5.3–12.3)

8.8 (6–14.4)

0.591

CRP mg/L (median, Q1–Q3)

227 (137–334

199 (75–313)

234 (151–332)

0.095