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Table 1 Characteristics of 871 ambulance patients with and without infection according to clinical judgment by ambulance personnel

From: Association between variables measured in the ambulance and in-hospital mortality among adult patients with and without infection: a prospective cohort study

Variable

Patients with infection

Patients without infection

 
 

Number (%) n = 553

Median (IQR)

Number (%) n = 318

Median (IQR)

P-value*

Age (years)

 

78 (71–85)

 

74 (59–83)

 < 0.001

Gender

    

0.054

-male

331 (59.9)

 

169 (53.1)

  

Ambulance priority

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

547

 

313

  

1

100 (18.3)

 

19 (6.1)

  

2

386 (70.6)

 

246 (78.6)

  

3

61 (11.2)

 

48 (15.3)

  

Keywords related to medical history

1. Fever or suspected fever

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

552

 

316

  

yes

404 (73.2)

 

31 (9.8)

  

no

134 (24.3)

 

279 (88.3)

  

inability to answer

14 (2.5)

 

6 (1.9)

  

2. Pain

    

0.017

(n**)

551

 

315

  

yes

256 (46.5)

 

145 (46.0)

  

no

274 (49.7)

 

168 (53.3)

  

inability to answer

21 (3.8)

 

2 (0.6)

  

3. Acute altered mental status

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

552

 

316

  

yes

328 (59.4)

 

70 (22.2)

  

no

208 (37.7)

 

242 (76.6)

  

inability to answer

16 (2.9)

 

4 (1.2)

  

4. Weakness of the legs***

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

552

 

316

  

yes

420 (76.1)

 

105 (33.2)

  

no

109 (19.7)

 

205 (64.9)

  

inability to answer

23 (4.2)

 

6 (1.9)

  

5. Breathing difficulties

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

550

 

315

  

yes

280 (50.9)

 

70 (22.2)

  

no

251 (45.6)

 

240 (76.2)

  

inability to answer

19 (3.4)

 

5 (1.6)

  

6. Loss of energy

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

552

 

315

  

yes

491 (88.9)

 

162 (51.4)

  

no

50 (9.1)

 

148 (47.0)

  

inability to answer

11 (2.0)

 

5 (1.6)

  

7. Gastrointestinal symptoms:vomiting/diarrhoea

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

551

 

316

  

yes

188 (34.1)

 

67 (21.2)

  

no

337 (61.2)

 

247 (78.2)

  

inability to answer

26 (4.7)

 

2 (0.6)

  

8. Risk factors for sepsis****

    

 < 0.001

(n**)

550

 

315

  

yes

229 (41.6)

 

33 (10.5)

  

no

294 (53.4)

 

275 (87.3)

  

inability to answer

27 (4.9)

 

7 (2.2)

  

Vital parameters

1. Respiratory rate (min−1)

 

21 (18–28)

 

16 (15–19)

 < 0.001

2. Oxygen saturation (%)

 

94 (91–97)

 

97 (95–99)

 < 0.001

3. Heart rate (min−1)

 

94 (80–109)

 

80 (70–95)

 < 0.001

4. Systolic BP (mmHg)

 

135 (120–150)

 

140 (124–160)

 < 0.001

5. GCS (score)

 

15 (15–15)

 

15 (15–15)

 < 0.001α

6. Temperature (°C)

 

38.3 (37.5–39.1)

 

36.8 (36.5–37.1)

 < 0.001

Blood tests

1. P-Glucose (mmol/L)

 

7.8 (6.8–9.7)

 

7.1 (6.1–8.6)

 < 0.001

2. P-Lactate (mmol/L)

 

1.7 (1.3–2.6)

 

1.6 (1.2–2.4)

0.103

3. P-suPAR (ng/mL)

 

4.8 (3.5–6.7)

 

3.5 (2.5–4.7)

 < 0.001

4. P-HBP (ng/mL)

 

12.9 (5.9–28.4)

 

5.9 (5.9–9.7)

 < 0.001

Comorbidity

Charlson comorbidity score

 

2 (1–4)

 

1 (0–2)

 < 0.001

Admitted to in-hospital care

455 (82.3)

 

179 (56.3)

 

 < 0.001

Sepsis within 36 h

230/551 (41.7)

 

12/317 (3.8)

 

 < 0.001

In-hospital mortality

33 (6.0)

 

8 (2.5)

 

0.021

  1. IQR = Interquartile range, min = minute, BP = Blood Pressure, GCS = Glasgow Coma Scale, °C = degrees Celsius, suPAR = soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activating Receptor, HBP = Heparin Binding Protein, ED = Emergency Department, qSOFA = quick SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score), ICD = International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
  2. *Chi2 test was used to compare proportions and Mann–Whitney U to compare medians between the groups
  3. **number of patients with documentation of the variable
  4. ***difficulties to walk/stand/raise/fallen/found on the floor or similar
  5. ****such as infection/antibiotic treatment/chemotherapy/ surgical/urological procedure/new blood-/urinary catheters last weeks or alcohol/drug abuse
  6. αThe p-value is significant despite medians and ICR being equal which is explained by the fact that > 75% of the patients in both groups presented with GCS 15 but the distribution of lower GCS scores differed between the groups, i.e., lower GCS scores were more frequent in the group with infection
  7. Bold numbers indicate significant P-values