Table 1

Clinical, biological and infection data of patients

Sex

     Female
59 (57.8)
     Male
43 (42.2)
Age (years)
74 (62–82)
Admission diagnoses

     Postoperative
47 (46.1)
     Medical
50 (49)
     Trauma
5 (4.9)
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
52 (51)
Length of intensive care unit stay (days)
18 (12–27.3)
Length of hospital stay (days)
33 (19–85.3)
Days for corticotropin testa
2 (1–4)
Total serum protein (g/dl)b
4.7 (4.1–5.2)
Serum albumin (g/dl)b
2 (1.7–2.4)
White blood cells (cells/μl)
11,550 (8,275–16,500)
C-reactive protein (mg/dl)
16.3 (10.5–25)
Baseline cortisol levels (μg/dl)
17.2 (10.6–23.8)
Cortisol 60 (μg/dl)
25.4 (18.6–39.2)
Cortisol 120 (μg/dl)
35.5 (24.5–49.9)
Δmax1 (μg/dl)
8.2 (3.5–17.3)
Δmax249 (μg/dl)
16.6 (10–26)
Mean daily dose of norepinephrinec (μg/kg/minute)
0.13 (0.04–0.54)
Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (corticotropin test day)
9 (7.8–11)
Maximum Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score
10 (9–13)
First-day Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score
7 (4–10)
Acute Physiologic and Chronic Heath Evaluation II score
20 (17–23)
Simplified Acute Physiology II score
43.5 (36–52.3)
28-day mortality rate
32 (31.4)
Intensive care unit mortality rate
36 (35.3)
Hospital mortality rate
46 (45.1)
Site of infection

     ◦Intra-abdominal
28 (27.5)
     ◦Soft tissue abscess/cellulitis
3 (2.9)
     ◦Lung
58 (56.9)
     ◦Central nervous system
1 (1)
     ◦Urinary tract
10 (9.8)
     ◦Endovascular infection
2 (2)
Microorganismsd

     ◦Gram-negative bacillus
72 (61.6)
     ◦Gram-positive coccus
39 (33.3)
     ◦Fungus
6 (5.1)
Bacteremia
22 (21.6)
Type of infection

     ◦Community
51 (50)
     ◦Nosocomial
51 (50)

Data presented as n (%) or median (interquartile range). Cortisol units: 1 μg/dl = 27.6 nmol/l. Cortisol 60, serum cortisol level drawn 60 minutes after stimulus with 1 μg corticotropin; Cortisol 120, serum cortisol level drawn 60 minutes after stimulus with 249 μg corticotropin (120 minutes after serum baseline cortisol); Δmax1, cortisol 60 value minus the baseline cortisol level; Δmax249, cortisol 120 value minus the baseline cortisol level. aDifference between corticotropin test day and intensive care unit admission day. bProtein and albumin levels were not measured in 15 patients. cMean daily dose of norepinephrine during the first five days after hydrocortisone usage or after the corticotropin test. dMicrobiological identification was obtained in 69 patients (67.6%).

Salgado et al. Critical Care 2006 10:R149   doi:10.1186/cc5077