Prehospital characteristics among patients with sepsis: a comparison between patients with or without adverse outcome

Table 2 Chi-squared test on patient’s symptoms in the EMS

Symptoms	All patients n = 327 n (%)	Patients without adverse outcome n = 277 n (%)	Patient with adverse outcome n = 50 n (%)	P-value
Respiratory difficulties	219 (67%)	180 (65%)	39 (78%)	0.07
Muscle weakness^a	84 (26%)	70 (25%)	14 (28%)	0.68
Gastrointestinal symptoms^b	60 (18%)	53 (19%)	7 (14%)	0.39
Altered mental status^c	58 (18%)	43 (15%)	15 (30%)	0.01^*
Pain unspecified^d	56 (17%)	45 (16%)	11 (22%)	0.32
Shivering	52 (16%)	49 (18%)	3 (6%)	0.04^*
Chest discomfort	28 (9%)	26 (9%)	2 (4%)	0.21
Abdominal pain	28 (9%)	23 (8%)	5 (10%)	0.69

^aBeing unable to perform tasks requiring muscle strength that are usually done with ease in the patient’s daily life, e.g. unable to stand, falling and collapsing, fainting, lying on the floor
^bDiarrhoea, vomiting or/and nausea
^cDecreased consciousness, difficult to reach, drowsiness, not responding when spoken to, or answering inappropriately
^dPain from various areas in body and “pain out of proportion”
^* Significant (p = < 0.05)

ISSN: 1471-227X