Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study patients

Age (years)

67 (21)

77 (14)

0.031^a

Male gender, n° (%)

17 (65.4)

27 (45.8)

0.106^b

Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)

81 (24)

93 (21)

0.032^a

Heart rate (beats/min)

107 (25)

95 (19)

0.031^a

APACHE II score

16.0 (4.7)

13.4 (5.3)

0.034^a

Arterial pH

7.36 (0.08)

7.39 (0.07)

0.106^a

Bicarbonate (mmol/L)

19.6 (7.3)

23.7 (4.7)

0.005^a

PaCO₂ (mmHg), median [IQR]

30.8 [26.6–40.1]

35.3 [31.5–43.5]

0.032^c

PaCO₂ ≥ 45 mmHg, n° (%)

7 (26.9)

21 (35.6)

0.466^b

PaO₂/FiO₂

277 (148)

282 (109)

0.878^a

Arterial lactate (mg/dl), median [IQR]

17 [14–26]

12 [8–21]

0.046^c

Hemoglobin (mg/dl)

10.6 (2.1)

11.0 (2.1)

0.499^a

Reason for ICU admission, n° (%)

Medical

20 (76.9)

53 (89.8)

0.174^b

Operative

6 (23.1)

6 (10.2)

Comorbidities, n (%)

Diabetes Mellitus

9 (34.6)

15 (25.4)

0.438^b

Transplantation

7 (26.9)

2 (3.4)

0.003^b

Chronic renal failure

6 (23.1)

8 (13.6)

0.344^b

Systemic hypertension

6 (23.1)

17 (28.8)

0.792^b

COPD

6 (23.1)

12 (20.3)

0.779^b

Liver cirrhosis

4 (15.4)

1 (1.7)

0.029^b

Coronary insufficiency

4 (15.4)

12 (20.3)

0.766^b

Congestive heart failure

4 (15.4)

22 (37.3)

0.072^b

Neoplasm

3 (11.5)

7 (11.9)

1.000^b

None

2 (7.7)

12 (20.3)

0.209^b