Table 1

Characteristics of the patients

Control
(n=93)
Infection
(n=94)
Sepsis
(n=53)
Septic shock
(n=86)
P value
Age, years, median (IQR)56
(45.0–69.0)
63
(51.0–73.8)
58
(49.0–70.0)
64
(53.0–70.0)
0.023
Sex, male, n (%)50 (53.8)64 (68.1)34 (64.2)53 (61.6)0.237
Comorbidity, n (%)
 Hypertension30 (32.3)38 (40.4)15 (28.3)29 (33.7)0.459
 Diabetes15 (16.1)25 (26.6)10 (18.9)15 (17.4)0.281
 Cardiovascular21 (22.6)24 (25.5)5 (9.4)15 (17.4)0.100
 Liver disease3 (3.2)3 (3.2)3 (5.7)5 (5.8)0.739
 Malignant tumour34 (36.6)36 (38.3)18 (34.0)42 (48.8)0.243
 Others26 (28.0)47 (50.0)15 (28.3)37 (43.0)0.005
Source of infection, n (%)
 Abdomen31 (33.0)30 (56.6)63 (73.3)<0.001
 Respiratory46 (48.9)17 (32.1)23 (26.7)0.006
 Blood4 (4.3)8 (15.1)16 (18.6)0.009
 Skin and soft tissues16 (17.0)5 (9.4)8 (9.3)0.220
 Others6 (6.4)8 (15.1)5 (5.8)0.109
Pathogens, n (%)
Escherichia coli 3 (3.2)9 (9.6)9 (17.0)24 (27.9)<0.001
Klebsiella genus 1 (1.1)8 (8.5)8 (15.1)14 (16.3)0.003
Other Enterobacteriaceae 2 (2.2)2 (2.1)4 (7.6)9 (10.5)0.030
Pseudomonas aeruginosa 1 (1.1)5 (5.3)7 (13.2)9 (10.5)0.015
Acinetobacter baumannii 1 (1.1)7 (7.5)4 (7.6)4 (4.7)0.112
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia 1 (1.1)2 (2.1)1 (1.9)11 (12.8)0.001
Enterococcus 1 (1.1)8 (8.5)9 (17.0)19 (22.1)<0.001
Other Gram-negative bacteria 1 (1.1)0 (0.0)2 (3.8)9 (10.5)0.001
Staphylococcus 1 (1.1)12 (12.8)5 (9.4)7 (8.1)0.024
Streptococcus 2 (2.2)1 (1.1)1 (1.9)3 (3.5)0.752
Anaerobic bacteria 1 (1.1)1 (1.1)1 (1.9)4 (4.7)0.377
Fungi 3 (3.2)17 (18.1)14 (26.4)38 (44.1)<0.001
APACHE II score, median (IQR)9.0
(7.0–12.0)
12.0
(9.0–16.0)
13.0
(9.00–18.0)
16.5
(12.0–21.0)
<0.001
SOFA score*, median (IQR)2.0
(1.0–5.0)
4.0
(2.3–7.0)
5.0
(3.0–7.0)
10.0
(7.0–13.0)
<0.001
Length of ICU stay, days median (IQR)2.0
(1.0–4.0)
5.0
(3.0–7.8)
6.0
(3.0–10.0)
8.0
(4.0–13.0)
<0.001
3-day improvement, n (%)88 (94.6)83 (88.3)47 (88.7)64 (74.4)0.001
28-day overall mortality, n (%)3 (3.2)9 (9.6)6 (11.3)28 (32.6)<0.001
  • *The absolute values of SOFA scores.

  • APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; ICU, intensive care unit; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.