Skip to main content

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of critically ill sepsis patients stratified by age decade

From: Association between age and the host response in critically ill patients with sepsis

 

 < 50 years

 ≥ 50–< 60 years

 ≥ 60–< 70 years

 ≥ 70 years

p value

n

421

368

545

618

 

Demographics

Age years, median [IQR]

39.00 [30.00, 45.00]*ab

55.00 [53.00, 57.00]*a

65.00 [62.00, 67.00]*

76.00 [72.00, 80.00]

 < 0.001

Male sex, n (%)

234 (55.6)*b

251 (68.2)

339 (62.2)

394 (63.8)

0.003

White race, n (%)

336 (80.0)*ab

331 (89.9)*

499 (92.1)

584 (95.0)

 < 0.001

BMI, median [IQR]

23.71 [21.51, 27.16]*ab

24.69 [21.61, 28.05]*a

25.71 [22.84, 29.39]

25.42 [22.86, 28.40]

 < 0.001

Medical admission, n (%)

307 (72.9)

277 (75.3)

408 (74.9)

452 (73.1)

0.799

Comorbidity

Charlson scorec, median [IQR]

0.00 [0.00, 2.00]*ab

1.00 [0.00, 3.00] *a

2.00 [0.00, 3.00]

2.00 [1.00, 3.00]

 < 0.001

Cardiovascular, n (%)

46 (10.9)*ab

76 (20.7)*a

163 (29.9)*

227 (36.7)

 < 0.001

Respiratory insufficiency, n (%)

24 (5.7)*a

22 (6.0) *a

52 (9.5)

59 (9.5)

0.032

Hypertension, n (%)

57 (13.5)*ab

85 (23.1) *a

193 (35.4)*

268 (43.4)

 < 0.001

Diabetes, n (%)

43 (10.2)*a

56 (15.2)*a

128 (23.5)

160 (25.9)

 < 0.001

Malignancy, n (%)

71 (16.9)*ab

97 (26.4)

155 (28.4)

148 (23.9)

 < 0.001

Renal disease, n (%)

38 (9.0)*ab

55 (14.9)

83 (15.2)

89 (14.4)

0.022

Immunocompromised, n (%)

114 (27.1)*

92 (25.1)*

136 (25.0)*

96 (15.6)

 < 0.001

Chronic medication, n (%)

Anticoagulants

34 (8.1)*a

38 (10.4)*a

98 (18.0)

131 (21.2)

 < 0.001

Antiplatelet drugs

23 (5.7)*ab

62 (17.4)*a

139 (26.5)*

254 (42.2)

 < 0.001

Site of infection, n (%)

Cardiovascular

18 (4.3)

8 (2.2)

19 (3.5)

20 (3.2)

0.431

Pulmonary

193 (45.8)

160 (43.5)

232 (42.6)

280 (45.3)

0.700

Urinary

20 (4.8)

13 (3.5)

37 (6.8)

34 (5.5)

0.174

Skin

19 (4.5)

17 (4.6)

14 (2.6)

23 (3.7)

0.312

Abdominal

48 (11.4)

56 (15.2)

78 (14.3)

94 (15.2)

0.314

Central nervous system

32 (7.6)*ab

13 (3.5)

19 (3.5)

10 (1.6)

 < 0.001

Other infection sited

15 (3.6)

19 (5.2)

33 (6.1)

27 (4.4)

0.304

Mixed infection

70 (16.6)

79 (21.5)

103 (18.9)

114 (18.4)

0.380

Unknown site **b

15 (3.6)

14 (3.8)

21 (3.9)

31 (5.0)

0.623

Causative pathogen primary site of infectione, n (%)

Gram-positive bacteria

150 (35.8)

121 (33.2)

187 (34.4)

201 (32.8)

0.764

Gram-negative bacteria

111 (26.5)*a

117 (32.1)

189 (34.7)

209 (34.1)

0.031

Fungi

31 (7.4)

35 (9.6)

53 (9.7)*

34 (5.5)

0.032

Virus

28 (6.7)*

17 (4.7)

29 (5.3)

16 (2.6)

0.017

Other

18 (4.3)

6 (1.6)

17 (3.1)

15 (2.4)

0.138

Unknown

145 (34.6)

130 (35.6)

176 (32.4)

225 (36.7)

0.470

Disease severity on admission

APACHE IV APS, median [IQR]

63.00 [47.00, 81.00]

67.00 [49.00, 84.25]

65.00 [50.00, 86.00]

67.00 [51.00, 85.00]

0.140

SOFA scoref, median [IQR]

6.00 [3.00, 9.00]*ab

7.00 [4.00, 9.00]

7.00 [4.00, 9.00]

7.00 [5.00, 9.00]

0.001

Shock, n (%)

71 (16.9)*b

93 (25.3)

117 (21.5)*

175 (28.3)

 < 0.001

ARDS, n (%)

93 (22.1)

89 (24.2)

113 (20.7)

126 (20.4)

0.514

Acute kidney injury, n (%)

110 (26.1)*

121 (32.9)

167 (30.6)*

237 (38.3)

 < 0.001

  1. Pairwise comparisons were made using the Dunn's Test of Multiple Comparisons Using Rank Sums followed by the Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple testing
  2. BMI Body Mass Index, APACHE IV APS Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV Acute Physiology score, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Score, ARDS acute respiratory distress syndrome
  3. *p < 0.05 compared to the ≥ 70 group
  4. ap < 0.05 compared to the ≥ 60–< 70 years group
  5. bp < 0.05 compared to the ≥ 50–< 60 years group
  6. cThe Charlson score was calculated without the age component
  7. dOther infection sites consisted of infections of bones and joints, the reproductive tract, mediastinum, the ear, throat or mouth. Specific sites per age group are shown in Additional file 1: Table S1
  8. eCausative organisms of the primary site of infection do not add up to 100% as some patients suffered from multiple pathogens at the primary site
  9. fThe SOFA score was calculated without the Central Nervous System component
  10. **Unknown site of infection consisted of infections of unknown source, systemic viral infections, and primary bacteremia. Specific sites per age group are shown in Additional file 1: Table S1
Back to article page

Critical Care

ISSN: 1364-8535