Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients

Sex (%)

 Female

45.6

 Male

54.4

Chronic coexisting conditions (%)^a

 Hypertension

83.3

 Diabetes

63.3

 Coronary artery disease

45.6

 Dyslipidemia

31.5

 Congestive heart failure

34.5

 Malignancy

11.1

 Chronic Obstructive lung disease or emphysema

10

 Neurologic disease

7.7

 Liver disease

4.5

SIRS criteria at presentation (%)

 More than 2

70

 Less than 2

30

Vital signs upon presentation

 Temperature (°C)

37.4 ± 1.1

 Systolic Blood Pressure (mm Hg)

116 ± 31.7

 Diastolic Blood Pressure (mm Hg)

61.1 ± 15.5

 Mean Arterial Pressure (mm Hg)

80.0 ± 19.2

 Heart Rate (beats/min)

86.2 ± 19.4

 Respiratory Rate (respiration/min)

21.2 ± 5.6

 Oxygen Saturation (%)

96.0 ± 5.0

Base line laboratory values

 White-cell count (per mm3)

14 ± 7*10000

 Hemoglobin

10.9 ± 1.97

 Hematocrit

32.8 ± 6.1

 Lactate (mmol/liter)

29 ± 4.1

  Lactate ≥4 (%)

81.3

  Lactate ≤4 (%)

18.8

 Creatinine (mg/dl)

5.4 ± 2.3

 Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dl)

51.5 ± 24.5

 Total bilirubin (mg/dl)

0.54 ± 0.6

 Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (mm Hg)

35.2 ± 16.1

 pH arterial blood

7.38 ± 0.01

 PaO2/FiO2

318.7 ± 141.6

Bacteremia

 Yes

39

 No

51

Site of Infection (%)

 HD Catheter

26.7

 Unknown

20.0

 Lung

15.6

 Urine

11.1

 Skin

11.1

 GI

8.9

 Gall Bladder

3.3

 Brain

1.1

 Heart

1.1

 Bone

1.1