Table 2

Baseline clinical and laboratory findings of patients directly and indirectly admitted to the ICU/MICU

Baseline clinical finding	All patients N=706	Direct admissions n=491	Indirect admissions n=215
Most common presenting diagnoses	Pneumonia Unspecified infection Chronic airway obstruction Asthma Fluid overload	Unspecified infection Pneumonia Asthma Chronic airway obstruction Fluid overload	Pneumonia Chronic airway obstruction Myocardial infarction Diabetes Chronic kidney disease
Most common reasons for ICU admission	Respiratory distress Severe acidosis Intubated patient Hypotension Altered mental state	Severe acidosis Respiratory distress Intubated patient Hypotension Altered mental state	Respiratory distress Urgent dialysis Intubated patient Hypotension Severe acidosis

Baseline laboratory	Direct admissions (n=491)			Indirect admissions (n=215)			p Value
Baseline laboratory	N	Result	SD	N	Result	SD	p Value
Arterial pH	424	7.2	0.19	81	7.3	0.15	0.000
PaO₂ (mm Hg)	419	152.9	125.55	72	104.8	59.51	0.002
Sodium (mmol/dL)	482	136.1	6.3	204	134.3	6.79	0.001
Potassium (mmol/dL)	481	4.6	1.33	203	4.5	1.25	0.149
Calcium (mmol/dL)	324	1.4	0.5	78	1.7	0.65	0.000
Glucose (mmol/dL)	378	12	8.22	150	10.6	6.25	0.057
Urea (mmol/dL)	480	13	12.71	204	19.05	19.22	0.000
Creatinine (µmol/dL)	480	297.3	354.59	200	405.7	415.59	0.001
Bicarbonate (mmol/dL)	418	20.5	10.36	78	19.2	9.61	0.307
Haemoglobin (g/dL)	482	12.6	3.06	205	11.4	2.97	0.000
Haematocrit (%)	482	37.4	9.14	205	34.1	8.9	0.000
Total white cells (×10⁹/L)	474	14.3	10.28	205	13.3	9.96	0.238