Table 1

Patient characteristics

Variables
All (n = 57)
Group 1 (n = 10)
Group 2 (n = 32)
Group 3 (n = 15)
P

Age (years)
79 (16)
75 (20)
80 (12)
71 (25)
NS
Sex (n; male/female)
33/24
7/3
16/16
10/5
NS
First cortisol level (μg/dl)
42.9 (14.8)
49.3 (27.7)
41.4 (17.3)
42.0 (20.9)
NS
Second cortisol level (μg/dl)
22.3 (15.8)
45.1 (25.5)
23.4 (9.3)
9.6 (8.8)
< 0.05
Change in cortisol level (μg/dl)
24.7 (28.7)
0.8 (13.3)
21.1 (16.9)
34.8 (16.7)
< 0.05
Time interval between both cortisol tests (days)
8 (5)
8 (3)
8 (6)
9 (5)
NS
Etiologies (n)





     Pneumonia
23
5
11
7
NS
     Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation
3
0
1
2
NS
     Sepsis
15
2
8
5
NS
     Hypovolemic shock
3
0
3
0
NS
     Cerebrovascular accident
2
0
1
1
NS
     Congestive heart failure
3
0
3
0
NS
     Arrhythmia
3
1
2
0
NS
     Acute myocardial infarction
5
2
3
0
NS
Diabetes mellitus (n)
17
4
12
1
NS
Malignancy (n)
12
1
10
1
NS
First albumin level (g/dL)
3.0 (0.7)
3.0 (0.6)
2.9 (1.0)
3.0 (0.7)
NS
Second albumin level (g/dL)
2.8 (0.8)
2.6 (0.5)
2.9 (1.1)
2.8 (0.6)
NS
First SOFA score
9 (5)
10 (8)
9 (6)
8 (3)
NS
Second SOFA score
10 (5)
13 (9)
10 (6)
9 (3)
NS
First APACHE II score
21 (8)
22 (11)
21 (8)
19 (9)
NS
Second APACHE II score
21 (9)
22 (10)
21 (7)
18 (10)
NS
Change in body temperature (°C)
0.0 (1.1)
0.2 (3.1)
0.0 (0.8)
0.0 (1.0)
NS
First dopamine dosage (μg/kg/min)
6.0 (11.0)
6.0 (20.0)
5.0 (4.8)
6.0 (13.0)
NS
Second dopamine dosage (μg/kg/min)
4.0 (8.0)
5.0 (10.0)
3.5 (6.8)
4.0 (9.0)
NS
First norepinephrine dosage (μg/min)
2.0 (1.0)
4.0 (4.0)
2.0 (1.0)
2.0 (1.0)
NS
Second norepinephrine dosage (μg/min)
3.0 (4.5)
3.5 (8.5)
2.0 (1.0)
4.0 (6.0)
NS
Mortality (n [%])
32 (56%)
6 (60%)
17 (53%)
9 (60%)
NS
Ventilator dependent (n [%])
7 (12%)
1 (10%)
3 (9%)
3 (20%)
NS
Mean ICU LOS (days)
28 (27)
23 (23)
26 (18)
41 (29)
NS
Mean hospital LOS (day)
41 (48)
32 (22)
35 (36)
69 (26)
NS

Unless otherwise stated, variables are presented as median (interquartile range). APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; LOS, length of stay; NS, nonsignificant; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.

Wu et al. Critical Care 2008 12:R65   doi:10.1186/cc6895