Table 1 Baseline characteristics of septic patients admitted to intensive care unit

Demographics and comorbidities

 Age (years)

59.4 ± 13.6

53.5 ± 16.6

62.5 ± 12.6

0.011

 Male, n (%)

45 (57.0%)

11 (50%)

34 (%)

0.459

 Body weight (kg)

66.4 ± 11.2

66.4 ± 12.0

66.3 ± 11.0

0.913

 Hypertension, n (%)

36 (45.6%)

10 (45.5%)

26 (%59.6)

0.608

 Diabetes, n (%)

28 (35.4%)

4 (18.2%)

24 (42.1%)

0.169

 Cerebrovascular disease, n (%)

22 (27.8%)

5 (22.7%)

17 (29.8%)

1.000

 APACHE II score^*

19.0 [12.0–25.0]

14.5 [10.8–19.3]

19.0 [13.5–25.0]

0.051

 SOFA score

7.7 ± 4.1

6.5 ± 3.7

8.1 ± 4.2

0.121

Source of infection

 Respiratory, n (%)

25 (31.6%)

4 (18.2%)

21 (36.8%)

0.176

 Abdominal, n (%)

36 (45.6%)

11 (50%)

25 (43.9%)

0.801

 Urinary, n (%)

11 (13.9%)

3 (13.6%)

8 (14.0%)

1.000

 Others, n (%)

10 (12.7%)

4 (18.2%)

6 (10.5%)

0.452

Hemodynamics

 MAP (mmHg)

85.5 ± 14.1

84.0 ± 16.7

86.4 ± 13.1

0.509

 Heart rate (beats per minute)

92.3 ± 18.6

102.0 ± 14.7

95.9 ± 16.7

0.142

 CVP (mmHg)^*

8.0 [6.0–11.0]

8.5 [6.5–11.0]

8.0 [6.5–10.5]

0.783

Organ failures

 Mechanical ventilation, n (%)

60 (76.0%)

17 (77.3%)

43 (75.4%)

1.000

 Renal replacement therapy, n (%)

12 (15.2%)

5 (22.7%)

7 (12.3%)

0.307

 Septic shock, n (%)

54 (68.4%)

18 (81.8%)

36 (63.2%)

0.176

Laboratory results

0.236

 Arterial blood lactates (mmol/L)^*

2.5 [1.4–4.6]

3.1 [1.4–5.9]

2.3 [1.3–3.6]

0.225

 Troponin I (ng/ml)^*

0.02 [0.01–0.08]

0.02 [0.01–0.17]

0.02 [0.01–0.05]

0.405

 NT-proBNP (pg/ml)^*

1830.0 [411.0-7890.0]

6055.0 [421.0-22425.0]

1590.0 [389.5–4292.0]

0.040

Clinical outcomes

 Death within 28 days, n (%)

21 (26.6%)

7 (31.8%)

14 (24.6%)

0.574

 Length of ICU stay (days)^*

6.1 [2.3, 15.2]

10.6 [2.3, 15.6]

5.8 [2.3, 12.7]

0.391

 Length of hospital stay (days)^*

17.5 [7.8, 26.0]

16.5 [11.8, 23.3]

18.0 [7.0, 27.5]

0.523