Baseline characteristics by study arm of the 58 patients who were randomised and did not withdraw consent*
| Variable-median (IQR) | Control arm (n=28) | PCT-based algorithm arm (n=30) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 54 (46–73) | 59 (40–67) |
| Female gender, n (%) | 9 (32.1%) | 6 (20%) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 27.6 (22.6–30.9) | 22.9 (19.5–26.1) |
| Time to ICU admission, days | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) |
| Time to randomisation, days | 3 (2–8) | 3 (2–6) |
| Location prior to ICU admission, n (%) | ||
| Community | 14 (50%) | 22 (73.3%) |
| Hospital ward | 13 (46.4%) | 8 (26.6%) |
| Long-term care facility | 1 (3.6%) | 0 (0%) |
| Type of admission, n (%) | ||
| Surgical | 1 (3.6%) | 1 (3.3%) |
| Medical | 27 (96.4%) | 29 (96.7%) |
| McCabe class, n (%) | ||
| 0: no life-threatening underlying disease | 18 (69.2%) | 26 (86.7%) |
| 1: life expectancy ≤5 years | 7 (26.9%) | 4 (13.3%) |
| 2: life expectancy <1 year | 1 (3.9%) | 0 (0%) |
| Knaus class, n (%)† | N=26 | N=29 |
| A (%) | 9 (34.6%) | 10 (34.5%) |
| B (%) | 3 (11.5%) | 6 (20.7%) |
| C (%) | 4 (15.4%) | 3 (10.3%) |
| D (%) | 10 (38.5%) | 10 (34.5%) |
| SAPSII score | 43 (32–52) | 32.5±27–47 |
| SOFA | 10 (8–11) | 9.5 (8.5–11) |
| Mechanical ventilation, n (%) | 19 (86%) | 19 (86%) |
| Body temperature, °C | 37.4 (36.7–38.3) | 37.5 (36.7–38.4) |
| White cell count, 103/mm3 | 13.7 (9.1–17.8) | 11.4 (7.5–15.2) |
| PCT, µg/l | 0.7 (0.4–2.4) | 1 (0.3–5) |
| Patients with procalcitonin <0.25 µg/l, n (%) | 2 (7%) | 6 (20%) |
| C reactive protein, mg/l | 141 (77–220) | 87 (52–142) |
*Three patients withdrew consent in the control arm and one in the experimental arm.†Levels of activity limitation are defined as follows: (A) prior good health, no functional limitations; (B) mild to moderate limitation of activity because of chronic medical problem; (C) chronic disease producing serious but not incapacitating restriction of activity and (D) severe restriction of activity due to disease, includes persons bedridden or institutionalised due to illness.
ICU, intensive care unit; PCT, procalcitonin; SAPSII, Simplified Acute Physiology Score, 2nd edition; SOFA, Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment.