Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the included cohort

Age, years

65.0 (54.0–75.0)

61.0 (50.5–71.0)

 < 0.001

Male gender—no. (%)

1429 (65.7)

279 (76.0)

 < 0.001

Weight, kilograms

80.0 (70.0–90.4)

83.0 (71.9–96.5)

0.009

Type of admission—no. (%)

 < 0.001

 Medical

1351 (62.1)

202 (55.0)

 Surgical

729 (33.5)

132 (36.0)

 Other

95 (4.4)

33 (9.0)

APACHE III

97.0 (80.0–113.5)

76.6 (65.8–95.1)

 < 0.001

Cardiovascular SOFA

4.0 (2.0–4.0)

0.0 (0.0–2.0)

 < 0.001

 0

298 (13.7)

212 (57.8)

 < 0.001

 1

234 (10.8)

61 (16.6)

 2

67 (3.1)

28 (7.6)

 3

425 (19.6)

17 (4.6)

 4

1148 (52.9)

49 (13.4)

Hours between randomization and start of treatment

31.0 (10.0–79.0)

72.0 (24.0–144.0)

 < 0.001

Premorbid creatinine, µmol/L

99.0 (79.6–132.6)

97.2 (70.7–132.6)

0.047

 Estimated glomerular filtration rate, mL/min

61.2 (42.6–84.1)

67.5 (50.1–96.8)

 < 0.001

Premorbid creatinine imputed, µmol/L*

100.7 (84.3–114.9)

100.7 (79.6–114.9)

0.338

 Estimated glomerular filtration rate imputed, mL/min*

49.6 (41.8–60.4)

49.7 (40.6–65.1)

0.122

Diabetes—no. (%)

186 (26.0)

124 (33.8)

0.009

At baseline—no. (%)

 Mechanical ventilation

1713 (78.8)

227 (61.9)

 < 0.001

 Sepsis

1173 (54.0)

222 (60.5)

0.023

 Oliguria

1459 (67.1)

257 (70.0)

0.292

 Hyperkalemia

123 (5.7)

4 (1.1)

 < 0.001

 Acidemia

572 (27.3)

15 (4.6)

 < 0.001

 Urea > 25 mmol/L

843 (38.8)

115 (31.5)

0.010

 Creatinine > 300 µmol/L

1087 (50.0)

208 (57.0)

0.015

High intensity group—no. (%)

1084 (49.8)

180 (49.0)

0.822

Laboratory tests at baseline

 Urea, mmol/L

20.3 (13.7–30.6)

19.3 (13.6–27.5)

0.031

 Creatinine, µmol/L

300.0 (212.2–410.0)

309.4 (238.7–415.5)

0.121

 pH

7.30 (7.21–7.37)

7.36 (7.29–7.42)

 < 0.001

 Bicarbonate, mmol/L

19.0 (16.0–23.0)

22.0 (18.4–25.0)

 < 0.001