Table 1

Baseline characteristics and clinical risk conditions: ICU and ward

Characteristic or condition
All patients
ICU admissions
Non-ICU admissions
Pa

Number
815
108
707

Age, years; median (interquartile range)
74 (55–83)
66 (48–78)
74 (56–84)
<0.001
Female sex, n (percentage)
450 (55.2)
61 (56.5)
389 (55.0)
0.836
McCabe score




     Non-fatal
618 (75.8)
81 (75.0)
537 (76.0)

     Ultimately fatal
178 (21.8)
25 (23.1)
153 (21.6)
0.894
     Fatal
19 (2.3)
2 (1.9)
17 (2.4)

Medical (versus surgical) admission
663 (81.3)
56 (51.9)
607 (85.9)
<0.001
Clinical risk conditions, n (percentage)




     Sepsis
704 (86.4)
84 (77.8)
620 (87.7)
0.005
     Pneumonia
233 (28.6)
30 (27.8)
203 (28.7)
0.841
     Aspiration
16 (2.0)
1 (0.9)
15 (2.1)
0.709
     Trauma
21 (2.6)
3 (2.8)
18 (2.5)
0.751
     Transfusions
9 (1.1)
8 (7.4)
1 (0.1)
<0.001
     Pancreatitis
75 (9.2)
3 (2.8)
72 (10.2)
0.011
     Pulmonary contusion
3 (0.4)
2 (1.9)
1 (0.1)
0.048
     Shock
59 (7.2)
51 (47.2)
8 (1.1)
<0.001
     Other
2 (0.2)
2 (1.9)
0
0.017
     Any pulmonary insult
244 (29.9)
34 (31.5)
210 (29.7)
0.707
On day of clinical risk development, median (IQR) or n (percentage)




     SAPS II
26 (18–33)
40 (27–49)
28 (22–35)
<0.001
     MAP
84 (74.8–95)
70 (56–83)
89 (77.8–100)
<0.001
     GCS
15 (15–15)
15 (15–15)
15 (15–15)
0.647
     PaO2/FiO2, mmHg
261.9 (221–310)
217.1 (158–323)
266.7 (238–314)
<0.001
     Vasoactive drugs
40 (4.9)
40 (37.0)
0
<0.001
Mechanical ventilation
46 (5.6)
46 (42.6)
0
<0.001
     Location (on ward)
730 (89.6)
23 (21.5)
707 (100)
<0.001
     MODS score
1.0 (0–3)
5 (3–7)
2 (1–3)
<0.001
     Days from hospital admission to insult
0 (0–1)
0 (0–5)
0 (0–0)
0.041
ALI diagnosis
20 (2.5)
9 (8.3)
11 (1.6)
<0.001
ARDS diagnosis
33 (4.0)
29 (26.8)
4 (0.6)
<0.001

ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; ALI, acute lung injury (PaO2/FiO2 200 to 300 mmHg); ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; SAPS, simplified acute physiology score; MAP, mean arterial pressure; GCS, Glasgow coma score; PaO2, partial pressure of arterial oxygen; FiO2, fractional concentration of inspired oxygen; MODS, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. aComparing ICU admissions with non-ICU admissions

Ferguson et al. Critical Care 2007 11:R96   doi:10.1186/cc6113