Table 1

Baseline characteristics of patients in the goal-directed therapy (GDT) and control groups

Characteristics

Control group

GDT group

Number in group

60

62

Age (years)

68 ± 11.6

66 ± 11.4

Male

39 (65%)

42 (68%)

P-POSSUM operative score

17.1 ± 4.9

17.8 ± 4.9

P-POSSUM physiology score

19.8 ± 5.5

21.9 ± 6.7

APACHE II score

9.6 ± 4.3

9.4 ± 3.9

ASA status 3 and above

43 (72%)

50 (81%)

Aged over 70 years with limited physiological reserve

20 (33%)

13 (21%)

Known history of severe cardiac or respiratory illness

22 (37%)

19 (31%)

Extensive surgery planned for carcinoma involving bowel anastomosis

21 (35%)

27 (44%)

Late-stage vascular disease involving the aorta

15 (25%)

11 (18%)

Elective surgery

54 (90%)

55 (88%)

Type of surgery

Vascular

16 (27%)

12 (19%)

Upper gastro-intestinal

8 (13%)

16 (26%)

Hepato-biliary

4 (7%)

8 (13%)

Lower gastro-intestinal

14 (23%)

10 (16%)

Urology

15 (25%)

11 (18%)

Other

3 (5%)

5 (8%)

Values are absolute (%) or mean ± SD. APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists; P-POSSUM, Portsmouth Physiologic and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity.

Pearse et al. Critical Care 2005 9:R687   doi:10.1186/cc3887