Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients with necrotising soft tissue infection for the entire study cohort and according to the LRINEC score.

From: Association between cytokine response, the LRINEC score and outcome in patients with necrotising soft tissue infection: a multicentre, prospective study

 

Study cohort (n = 159)

LRINEC <6 (n = 43)

LRINEC ≥6 (n = 116)

P-value

Age, years

61 (53–69)

60 (47–68)

61 (54–69)

0.30

Sex, male

95 (60)

27 (63)

68 (59)

0.63

Chronic disease

Diabetes

34 (21)

5 (12)

29 (25)

0.07

Liver cirrhosis

7 (4)

2 (5)

5 (4)

0.93

Chronic kidney disease

16 (10)

0 (0)

16 (14)

0.01

Cardiovascular disease

68 (43)

16 (37)

52 (45)

0.39

COPD

16 (10)

6 (14)

10 (9)

0.38

Peripheral vascular disease

21 (13)

1 (2)

20 (17)

0.01

Immune deficiency (AIDS)

1 (1)

1 (2)

0 (0)

0.30

Malignancy

23 (15)

4 (9)

19 (16)

0.26

Rheumatoid disease

11 (7)

3 (7)

8 (7)

0.99

Steroid treatment

19 (12)

8 (19)

11 (10)

0.12

Symptoms

Severe pain requiring opioid

52 (33)

13 (30)

39 (34)

0.92

Palpable gas (crepitus)

24 (15)

4 (9)

20 (17)

0.45

Gas visualized with CT

40 (25)

9 (21)

31 (27)

0.38

Cytokines, pg/mL

IL-1β

2.3 (0.7–7.3)

1.3 (0.4–5.4)

3.0 (0.8–7.9)

0.07

IL-6

539 (156–2,484)

289 (88–3,050)

607 (181–2,473)

0.23

IL-10

38.8 (10.0–115.4)

38.8 (6.7–97.9)

38.4 (11.7–129.7)

0.45

TNF-α

15.1 (4.3–49.8)

7.8 (3.1–68.2)

15.1 (5.3–45.8)

0.26

Time from diagnosis to baseline blood sample (hours)

3.5 (1.5–8.75)

3.25 (1.0–11.75)

3.75 (1.75–8.75)

0.49

Body part affected on admission

Head/neck

12 (7)

4 (9)

8 (7)

0.54

Thorax

6 (4)

0 (0)

6 (5)

0.19

Abdomen

3 (2)

1 (2)

2 (2)

0.21

Extremities

65 (41)

22 (51)

43 (37)

0.11

Genital/perineum

33 (21)

9 (21)

24 (21)

0.28

Multiple body regions

40 (25)

7 (17)

33 (28)

0.12

Microorganism in blood and/or tissue

    

β-haemolytic Streptococcus

49 (31)

12 (28)

37 (32)

0.63

Staphylococcus aureus

6 (4)

2 (5)

4 (3)

0.66

Gram-negative bacteria

13 (8)

4 (9)

9 (8)

0.75

Monomicrobial, other

23 (14)

7 (16)

16 (14)

0.69

Polymicrobial

41 (26)

10 (23)

31 (27)

0.66

Negative findings

27 (17)

8 (19)

19 (16)

0.74

Biochemistry

Leukocyte count (highest), 109/L

15.9 (9.4–23.8)

15.9 (7.6–21.5)

15.9 (9.7–24.3)

0.71

C-reactive protein (highest), mg/L

201 (126–296)

96 (54–197)

226 (159–306)

<0.0001

Potassium (highest), mmol/L

4.3 (3.9–4.8)

4.2 (4.0–4.7)

4.4 (3.9–4.8)

0.83

Sodium (lowest), mmol/L

135 (131–138)

137 (134–139)

134 (131–137)

0.005

Creatinine (highest), μmol/L

121 (77–209)

91 (64–129)

145 (80–233)

0.001

pH (lowest)

7.31 (7.22–7.37)

7.36 (7.23–7.40)

7.30 (7.2–7.4)

0.05

Lactate (highest), mmol/L

2.3 (1.3–4.2)

1.9 (1.1–4.1)

2.4 (1.4–4.4)

0.26

Outcomes and ICU scores

SAPS II a

46 (35–55)

47 (31–58)

45 (36–52)

0.92

SOFA score b (Day 1)

8 (5–10)

6 (3–10)

8 (6–10)

0.17

Septic shock c (Day 1)

116 (73)

28 (65)

88 (76)

0.18

Ventilation within 7 d

142 (89)

34 (79)

108 (93)

0.019

RRT within 7 d

40 (25)

12 (28)

28 (24)

0.63

Amputation of extremity within 7 d

29 (18)

8 (19)

21 (18)

0.94

30-day mortality, % (95% CI)

25 (16, 11–22)

10 (23)

15 (13)

0.24

90-day mortality, % (95% CI)

34 (21, 16–28)

12 (28)

22 (19)

0.41

  1. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CT, computed tomography; SAPS II, simplified acute physiology score II; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment; LRINEC, laboratory risk indicator for necrotising fasciitis; ICU, intensive care unit; RRT, renal replacement therapy. Values denote median (25–75 percentiles) or number (%). Comparisons between LRINEC <6 and ≥6 were performed with Mann-Whitney U or X2-test. aPatients with missing value: n = 31. bPatients with missing value: n = 14; the SOFA score was modified as the Glasgow Coma Scale was not assessed. cSeptic shock defined as the use of any inotropica or vasopressor.
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