Table 1 Baseline characteristics of weak and non-weak critically ill patients

Age—median (IQR)

64.3 (55.8–73.1)

62.2 (50.7–73.3)

0.01

Male gender—n (%)

132 (56.9)

221 (60.1)

0.4

BMI (kg/m²)—median (IQR)

24.8 (22.1–29.1)

25.2 (22.9–28.4)

0.3

NRS ≥ 5—n (%)

95 (40.9)

82 (22.3)

< 0.0001

APACHEII—median (IQR)

35 (29–40)

26 (18–34)

< 0.0001

Diabetes—n (%)

37 (15.9)

59 (16.0)

1

Malignancy—n (%)

67 (28.9)

96 (26.1)

0.4

Pre-admission dialysis—n (%)

4 (1.7)

2 (0.5)

0.2

Sepsis upon admission—n (%)

141 (60.8)

123 (33.4)

< 0.0001

ICU admission categories—n (%)

< 0.0001

 Surgical ICU, emergency

100 (43.1)

159 (43.2)

 Cardiac elective surgery

63 (27.2)

139 (37.8)

 Other elective surgery

8 (3.4)

27 (7.3)

 Medical ICU

61 (26.3)

43 (11.7)

Randomized to early-PN—n (%)

127 (54.7)

168 (45.6)

0.03