Table 2

Baseline characteristics of study patients

Study population

(n = 171)

CPC 1 + 2

(n = 69)

CPC 3 + 4 + 5

(n = 102)

P value

Male gender

135 (78%)

58 (84%)

76 (74%)

0.18

Age (years)

63 (53-72)

60 (52-69)

65 (54-74)

0.13

OHCA

145 (86%)

62 (89%)

83 (81%)

0.08

Bystander CPR

46 (27%)

24 (35%)

22 (22%)

0.05

Cardiac cause of arrest

142 (83%)

62 (89%)

79 (78%)

0.06

VF as initial rhythm

111 (65%)

63 (91%)

48 (47%)

0.01

APACHE II score

28 (21-34)

29 (22-33)

27 (21-34)

0.59

Urine output (l/24 h)

2.0 (1.3-2.7)

2.0 (1.5-2.7)

1.9 (1.2-2.7)

0.18

Therapeutic hypothermia

98 (57%)

52 (75%)

46 (45%)

0.002

NSE after 72 hours (μg/l)

29.6 (18.5-80.9)

18.5 (12.5-23.7)

63 (29-203)

< 0.001

ICU length of stay (days)

13 (7-26)

15 (9-25)

13 (6-26)

0.13

Data are presented as medians (25th and 75th percentiles) or as absolute numbers (relative frequencies). APACHE: acute physiology and chronic health evaluation; CPC: cerebral performance category; CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ICU: intensive care unit; NSE: neuron-specific enolase; OHCA: out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; VF: ventricular fibrillation.

Hasper et al. Critical Care 2009 13:R168   doi:10.1186/cc8144