Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study patients

 Age, yr, mean (SD)

64 (19.2)

66 (16.7)

 Sex, male, n (%)

17 (68)

12 (48)

 Weight, mean (SD)

62.5 (20.5)

61.0 (14.6)

 BMI, kg/m², mean (SD)

23.3 (6.5)

23.6 (5.7)

 Medical ICU, n (%)

16 (64)

22 (88)

 Duration of vasopressor treatment, hr., median (IQR)

11 (7–17)

10 (5–12)

 Mechanical ventilation at the time of enrolment, n (%)

19 (76)

25 (100)

 APACHE II score, mean (SD)

26 (7.6)

29 (6.1)

 SOFA score at enrolment, mean (SD)

10 (3.9)

11 (2.5)

 NUTRIC score, mean (SD)

6 (2.0)

7 (1.7)

 Norepinephrine equivalent dose^a, mcg/kg/min, median (IQR)

0.24 (0.09–0.34)

0.20 (0.07–0.33)

 Diabetes mellitus

12 (48)

15 (60)

 Hypertension

14 (56)

20 (80)

 Cerebrovascular disease

7 (28)

7 (28)

 Coronary artery disease

2 (8)

4 (16)

 Chronic heart failure

3 (12)

4 (16)

 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

0 (0)

0 (0)

 Liver disease

5 (20)

4 (16)

 ESRD on haemodialysis

1 (4)

4 (16)

 Chronic kidney disease

7 (28)

6 (24)

 Cancer

9 (36)

11 (44)

 White blood count, × 10³, median (IQR)

11.9 (5.7–18.9)

7.8 (1.5–15.2)

 Haemoglobin, g/dl, mean (SD)

10.1 (1.9)

10.0 (1.7)

 Blood urea nitrogen, mg/dl, median (IQR)

36 (22–58)

43 (20–58)

 Creatinine, mg/dl, median (IQR)

1.9 (1.2–2.8)

1.7 (1.3–2.1)

 Glucose, mg/dl, mean (SD)

161 (80)

130 (47)

 Lactate, mmol/l, median (IQR)

2.9 (2.3–3.5)

2.8 (2.1–5.6)

 Thiamine deficiency, n (%)

0 (0)

2 (8)

 Thiamine level, median (IQR)

103.9 (77.8–127.0)

86.0 (56.6–124.9)

 C-reactive protein, median (IQR)

213.4 (143.6–261.1)

177.1 (81.5–249.9)

 Crystalloid, ml, median (IQR)

1500 (800–2500)

1400 (1000–2500)

 Colloid, ml, median (IQR)

250 (250–500)

250 (0–500)

 Duration of sedation, hr., median (IQR)

1.6 (0–4.0)

2.0 (0–4.0)

 Duration of muscle relaxant, hr., median (IQR)

0 (0)

0 (0–1.0)

 Hydrocortisone, n (%)

15 (60)

16 (64)

 Terlipressin, n (%)

2 (8)

1 (4)

 Methylene blue, n (%)

1 (4)

2 (8)

 Cytokine removal, n (%)

0 (0)

1 (4)