Table 2

Characteristics of the study group


All patients (n = 3,147)
Stratifying according to albumin administration



Albumin (n = 354)
No albumin (n = 2,793)
p value

Age, mean ± SDa
61 ± 17
62 ± 15
60 ± 18
0.15
Male (%)b
1,920 (61.7%)
219 (62.4)
1,701 (61.6)
0.776
Chronic diseases (%)




     COPD
340 (10.8)
38 (10.7)
302 (10.8)
0.964
     Cancer
415 (13.2)
66 (18.7)
349 (12.5)
<0.001
     Heart failure
307 (9.8)
42 (11.9)
265 (9.5)
0.156
     Diabetes
226 (7.2)
29 (8.2)
197 (7.1)
0.434
     Liver cirrhosis
121 (3.8)
32 (9.0)
89 (3.2)
<0.001
     Hematologic cancer
69 (2.2)
13 (3.7)
56 (2.0)
0.053
     HIV/AIDS
26 (0.9)
6 (1.7)
20 (0.7)
0.18
Surgical admission (%)
1,388 (44.1)
218 (61.6)
1,170 (41.9)
<0.001
SAPS II score, mean ± SD
36.5 ± 17.1
41.5 ± 17.3
35.9 ± 17.0
<0.001
Admission SOFA score, mean ± SD
5.1 ± 3.8
6.9 ± 3.9
4.9 ± 3.8
<0.001
Infection (%)
1,177 (37.4)
225 (63.6)
952 (34.1)
<0.001
     On admission
777 (24.7)
140 (39.5)
637 (22.8)
<0.001
Severe sepsis (%)
930 (29.6)
202 (57.1)
728 (26.1)
<0.001
     On admission
552 (17.5)
112 (31.6)
440 (15.8)
<0.001
Septic shock (%)
462 (16.5)
144 (40.7)
318 (11.4)
<0.001
     On admission
243 (7.7)
62 (17.5)
181 (6.5)
<0.001
ICU stay, median (IQ)
3.0 (1.7–6.9)
8.0 (3.1–17.8)
2.9 (1.6–6)
<0.001
Hospital stay, median (IQ)c
15 (7–32)
27 (12–49)
14 (7–29)
<0.001
ICU mortality (%)d
583 (18.5)
125 (35.3)
458 (16.4)
<0.001
Hospital mortality (%)c
747 (23.7)
147 (41.5)
600 (21.3)
<0.001

aNine missing. bThirty-five missing. cThirty-nine missing. dOne missing. ICU, intensive care unit; IQ, interquartile range; SAPS, simplified acute physiology score; SD, standard deviation; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment.

Vincent et al. Critical Care 2005 9:R745   doi:10.1186/cc3895