Table 1 Clinical characteristics of septic patients admitted with a lactate level > 2 mmol/L and alive at 24 h (n = 269)

Number of patients (n, %)

269 (100)

75 (27.9)

70 (26.0)

28 (10.4)

96 (35.7)

bio-ADM at admission (pg/ml)

113.7 [59.3–206.4]

46.7 [33.1–63.0]

137.3 [103.2–217.8]

61.5 [36.3–84.3]

192.4 [129.0–355.6]

Lactate at admission (mmol/l)

3.6 [2.6–5.5]

2.8 [2.3–3.5]

3.3 [2.5–4.5]

3.5 [2.7–4.6]

5.4 [3.5–8.8]

Age (years)

65.7 [54.7–75.6]

64.0 [54.4–71.8]

65.7 [58.5–74.3]

67.6 [56.8–76.9]

67.8 [54.6–77.4]

Male sex (n, %)

171 (63.6)

52 (69.3)

45 (64.3)

18 (64.3)

56 (58.3)

Body mass index (kg/m²)

26.1 [23.1–30.8]

26.1 [23.9–29.4]

25.1 [20.5–30.4]

26.4 [22.9–31.3]

27.3 [23.6–31.8]

n = 232

Septic shock at admission (n, %)

172 (63.9)

34 (45.3)

46 (65.7)

15 (53.6)

77 (80.2)

Type of ICU admission

 Medical (n, %)

198 (73.6)

62 (82.7)

49 (70.0)

24 (85.7)

63 (65.6)

 Surgical—emergency procedure (n, %)

60 (22.3)

10 (13.3)

18 (25.7)

4 (14.3)

28 (29.2)

 Surgical—elective procedure (n, %)

11 (4.1)

3 (4.0)

3 (4.3)

0 (0.0)

5 (5.2)

Origin of sepsis

 Lung (n, %)

87 (32.3)

28 (37.3)

16 (22.9)

15 (53.6)

28 (29.2)

 Bloodstream (n, %)

35 (13)

14 (18.7)

8 (11.4)

4 (14.3)

9 (9.4)

 Urinary tract (n, %)

46 (17.1)

4 (5.3)

15 (21.4)

4 (14.3)

23 (24)

 Catheter (n, %)

15 (5.6)

4 (5.3)

3 (4.3)

3 (10.7)

5 (5.2)

 Peritonitis (n, %)

16 (5.9)

6 (8.0)

3 (4.3)

0 (0.0)

7 (7.3)

 Endocarditis (n, %)

14 (5.2)

4 (5.3)

4 (5.7)

1 (3.6)

5 (5.2)

 Bile duct infection (n, %)

4 (1.5)

0 (0.0)

2 (2.9)

0 (0.0)

2 (2.1)

 CNS (n, %)

1 (0.4)

1 (1.3)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 Skin and soft tissue (n, %)

4 (1.5)

4 (5.3)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 Gynecologic (n, %)

1 (0.4)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.0)

 Other (n, %)

46 (17.1)

10 (13.3)

19 (27.1)

1 (3.6)

16 (16.7)

 Any cardiac comorbidity (n, %)

184 (68.4)

43 (57.3)

49 (70)

18 (64.3)

74 (77.1)

 Chronic heart failure (n, %)

29 (10.9)

6 (8.0)

5 (7.2)

3 (11.1)

15 (15.8)

 Hypertension (n, %)

143 (53.8)

33 (44.0)

38 (55.1)

14 (50.0)

58 (61.7)

 Diabetes mellitus (n, %)

76 (28.4)

21 (28.0)

19 (27.5)

3 (10.7)

33 (34.4)

 Any noncardiac comorbidity (n, %)

198 (73.6)

51 (68.0)

55 (78.6)

21 (75.0)

71 (74.0)

 Chronic renal disease (n, %)

31 (11.7)

6 (8.1)

10 (14.5)

2 (7.1)

13 (13.7)

 Active/recent malignant tumors (n, %)

60 (22.5)

10 (13.3)

19 (27.9)

7 (25.0)

24 (25.0)

 Smoking (active) (n, %)

57 (21.8)

17 (23.0)

15 (22.1)

5 (19.2)

20 (21.5)

 COPD (n, %)

35 (13.1)

9 (12.0)

12 (17.4)

5 (17.9)

9 (9.5)

 Any chronic medication (n, %)

176 (65.4)

42 (56.0)

53 (75.7)

16 (57.1)

65 (67.7)

 Immunosuppressive therapy (n, %)

26 (9.7)

5 (6.7)

5 (7.1)

3 (10.7)

13 (13.5)

Physiological values at admission

Temperature (°C)

37.2 [36.3–38.3]

37.2 [36.4–38.3]

37.2 [36.4–38.2]

36.9 [35.8–37.7]

37.2 [36.3–38.4]

Mean blood pressure (mmHg)

73 [62–92]

82 [68.5–99]

70.5 [60–84]

77.5 [58–94.2]

69 [58.5–86]

n = 266

Heart rate (beats/min)

108 [96–122]

110 [93–123.5]

107 [95.2–118.7]

106 [97.7–115]

112.5 [97.7–130.2]

Central venous pressure (mmHg)

8 [5–12]

8 [5–13]

7 [3–11]

8 [7–8]

9 [6–12]

n = 75

Glasgow Coma Scale score (points)

15 [13–15]

15 [14–15]

15 [14–15]

14 [13–15]

15 [13–15]

n = 253

Fluid balance (mL)

2500 [1141–4716]

1930 [892–2626]

2156 [1375–3939]

2820 [1292–4323]

3657 [1426–5750]

n = 235

Urine output for 24 h (mL)

1000 [354–1867]

1350 [941–2667]

675 [301–1619]

1562.5 [951–2220]

600 [177–1480]

n = 248

PaO₂/FiO₂

220 [131–330]

254 [155–362]

231 [145–321]

211 [96–330]

190 [115–314]

n = 244

 Arterial pH

7.36 [7.27–7.42]

7.41 [7.34–7.45]

7.37 [7.26–7.42]

7.38 [7.31–7.44]

7.31 [7.22–7.38]

n = 261

 Bilirubin (μmol/L)

12 [7–22]

13 [6.75–22.2]

11 [5.5–20.5]

12 [8–20.5]

12 [7–22]

n = 259

 Platelets (10⁹/L)

188 [116–265]

180 [128–261]

176 [110–284]

243 [135–336]

181 [110–245]

n = 268

 Creatinine (mg/dL)

1.5 [1.02–2.26]

1.13 [0.85–1.63]

1.79 [1.23–2.65]

1.03 [0.74–1.45]

1.72 [1.2–2.62]

 Urea (mg/dL)

66 [41–109.91]

50.45 [36.04–78.34]

85.29 [53.6–118.77]

52 [33.48–77.27]

73.57 [46.7–120.84]

 Hematocrit (%)

35 [30–39]

36 [30–39]

35 [30–40]

35 [31–37]

34 [29–40]

n = 265

 White blood cell count (per mm³)

11,690 [6037–18,142]

13,400 [8390–18,700]

11,115 [5497–16,500]

11,770 [7780–15,950]

10,780 [4200–17,722]

n = 268

 Troponin T, maximum at admission (ng/mL)

41.73 [18–219]

24 [14–50.5]

40.86 [19.5–126.75]

14 [13–47]

87.5 [27.82–329.25]

n = 73

 Troponin I, maximum at admission (ng/mL)

100 [29.9–323]

79 [19.25–327.23]

135 [37.02–233.68]

114.95 [22.48–230]

100 [31.9–312.95]

n = 77

 PCT, maximum at admission (ng/mL)

19.17 [6.33–79.32]

10.36 [4.35–37.93]

27.62 [7.75–60]

5.42 [2.24–11.21]

43.64 [9.6–103.41]

n = 144

 PCT, central laboratory (ng/mL)

15.34 [5.37–48.43]

8.21 [2.4–18.21]

22.55 [9.68–53.25]

7.12 [2.04–20.73]

29.22 [8.73–64.8]

n = 269

 BNP, maximum at admission (pg/mL)

376.2 [159–1132]

376.2 [169.5–1011]

356.1 [228–540.2]

219 [143.7–324]

757 [141.7–1619.5]

n = 49

 NT-proBNP, maximum at admission (pg/mL)

5119 [1620–17,118]

1847 [621–6709]

3873 [2594–23,052]

792 [249–3074]

7097 [4884–24,340]

n = 54

 Mechanical ventilation

  Invasive (n, %)

125 (46.5)

24 (32.0)

29 (41.4)

12 (42.9)

60 (62.5)

  Noninvasive (n, %)

49 (18.2)

16 (21.3)

9 (12.9)

7 (25.0)

17 (17.7)

  None (n, %)

95 (35.3)

35 (46.7)

32 (45.7)

9 (32.1)

19 (19.8)

 Renal replacement therapy (n, %)

28 (10.4)

1 (1.3)

7 (10.0)

3 (10.7)

17 (17.7)

 Vasopressors/inotropes at admission (n, %)

192 (71.4)

41 (54.7)

51 (72.9)

18 (64.3)

82 (85.4)

 SOFA (points)

8 [6–11]

6 [4–9]

8 [7–11]

8 [5–9]

10 [7–11.5]

n = 240

 APACHE II (points)

17 [13–22]

15 [10–18]

17 [12.2–21]

18.5 [13.7–23]

19 [15–23.2]

 ICU length of stay (days)

6 [3–11]

5 [3–7.5]

7 [4–13]

5.5 [2.7–9.5]

7 [3–16.2]

 28-day, deaths (n, %)

75 (27.9)

5 (6.7)

18 (25.7)

4 (14.3)

48 (50.0)

 90-day, deaths (n, %)

93 (34.6)

10 (13.3)

22 (31.4)

6 (21.4)

55 (57.3)