Table 3 Comparison of elderly patients who died in hospital and survived to hospital discharge

Median age (IQR)

75 (70-78.2)

76 (71-80.5)

0.63

Sex (M:F)

19:19

45:23

0.14**

Co-morbidities

Chronic renal failure (%)

14.7

14.5

1.00**

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (%)

38.2

21.8

0.14**

Congestive cardiac failure/Ischemic heart disease/Hypertension (%)

67.6

77.1

0.33**

Diabetes mellitus (%)

18.7

24.5

0.60**

Physiological variables

Median (IQR)

Median (IQR)

PaO₂ (torr)

113 (73.5 -195)

99. (75-167)

0.31

PaCO₂ (torr)

39 (31.5-57)

39 (33-45)

0.21

HCO₃(mmol/L)*

15.41 (6.45)

19.56 (4.02)

< 0.01

pH

7.15 (6.99-7.31)

7.31 (7.23-7.38)

< 0.01

Heart rate

110 (90-127.5)

105 (86-114)

0.11

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

132 (105-147)

140 (120-154)

0.12

Diastolic blood pressure(mmHg)

60 (50-68)

65 (50-75.2)

0.10

Mean blood pressure(mmHg)

82 (72-92.5)

89.5 (80.7-99)

0.04

Temperature (degree Celsius)

36.7 (35.4-37.9)

37.3 (36.8-37.9)

0.06

Respiratory rate

24 (15.5-32)

26 (21.7-30)

0.60

Number of organs failed

2 (1-3)

1 (0-1)

< 0.01

Laboratory variables

Sodium (mmol/L)

143 (140-145)

141 (138-144)

0.14

Potassium (mmol/L)

4.78 (0.92)

4.33 (0.64)

0.01

Urea (mmol/L)

16.4 (9.7-23.9)

12.6 (8.1-19.7)

0.16

Creatinine (umol/L)

185 (130-250)

130 (90-241)

0.05

Bilirubin (umol/L)

18 (9-35)

14 (8-26)

0.47

Albumin (g/L)

27.29 (7.49)

30.25 (4.60)

0.04

Blood sugar (mmol/L)

9.3 (6.7-14.3)

9.6 (6.5-11.5)

0.55

C reactive protein (mg/L)

163 (78.5-248.1)

168.7 (61-254.1)

0.87

Lactate (mmol/L)

4 (2-10.1)

2.2 (1.3-4.0)

< 0.01

White cell count (×10^9/L)

14.5 (7.2-23)

15.4 (11.3-24)

0.21

Hematocrit (%)

0.31 (0.27-0.36)

0.32 (0.27-35)

0.90

Positive culture in the first 24 hours (%)

51.4

38.5

0.28**

Scores

APACHE III

91 (76.5-114.5)

65 (53.7 -83)

< 0.01

SAPS II

57 (45.5-70)

43.5 (37-50)

< 0.01

Outcome

Duration of ICU stay

(days; Mean (SD))

2 (1-6.2)

2 (1-6)

0.97

Duration of hospital stay (days; Mean (SD))

9 (3-32)

15 (8-31.5)

0.09