Baseline characteristics of early and late NE groups
| Late NE (n=1034) | Early NE (n=1045) | Total (n=2079) | P value | ||
| Age | 66.1 (15.3) | 65.5 (15.1) | 65.8 (15.2) | 0.3841 | |
| Ethnicity | 0.4662 | ||||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 4.0 (0.4%) | 2.0 (0.2%) | 6.0 (0.3%) | ||
| Asian | 33.0 (3.2%) | 27.0 (2.6%) | 60.0 (2.9%) | ||
| Black/African-American | 101.0 (9.8%) | 107.0 (10.2%) | 208.0 (10.0%) | ||
| Hispanic/Latino | 37.0 (3.6%) | 33.0 (3.2%) | 70.0 (3.4%) | ||
| Other | 36.0 (3.5%) | 56.0 (5.4%) | 92.0 (4.4%) | ||
| Unable to obtain | 14.0 (1.4%) | 15.0 (1.4%) | 29.0 (1.4%) | ||
| Unknown | 123.0 (11.9%) | 111.0 (10.6%) | 234.0 (11.3%) | ||
| White | 686.0 (66.3%) | 694.0 (66.4%) | 1380.0 (66.4%) | ||
| Male gender | 591.0 (57.2%) | 607.0 (58.1%) | 1198.0 (57.6%) | 0.6682 | |
| OASIS score | 39.8 (9.1) | 38.3 (9.1) | 39.0 (9.1) | <0.001 | |
| ASPiii score | 67.8 (26.0) | 62.3 (24.1) | 65.0 (25.2) | <0.001 | |
| SAPSii score | 46.9 (14.8) | 44.3 (14.1) | 45.6 (14.5) | <0.001 | |
| SOFA score | 9.9 (3.5) | 9.5 (3.3) | 9.7 (3.4) | 0.0031 | |
| AIDS | 15.0 (1.5%) | 12.0 (1.1%) | 27.0 (1.3%) | 0.5432 | |
| CVD | 134.0 (13.0%) | 118.0 (11.3%) | 252.0 (12.1%) | 0.2442 | |
| COPD | 306.0 (29.6%) | 309.0 (29.6%) | 615.0 (29.6%) | 0.9902 | |
| CHF | 353.0 (34.1%) | 339.0 (32.4%) | 692.0 (33.3%) | 0.4112 | |
| Dementia | 45.0 (4.4%) | 53.0 (5.1%) | 98.0 (4.7%) | 0.4392 | |
| Diabetes with complication | 125.0 (12.1%) | 123.0 (11.8%) | 248.0 (11.9%) | 0.8232 | |
| Diabetes without complication | 261.0 (25.2%) | 265.0 (25.4%) | 526.0 (25.3%) | 0.9512 | |
| Malignant cancer | 169.0 (16.3%) | 169.0 (16.2%) | 338.0 (16.3%) | 0.9152 | |
| Metastatic solid tumor | 69.0 (6.7%) | 72.0 (6.9%) | 141.0 (6.8%) | 0.8442 | |
| Mild liver disease | 212.0 (20.5%) | 186.0 (17.8%) | 398.0 (19.1%) | 0.1172 | |
| MI | 200.0 (19.3%) | 202.0 (19.3%) | 402.0 (19.3%) | 0.9942 | |
| Paraplegia | 46.0 (4.4%) | 49.0 (4.7%) | 95.0 (4.6%) | 0.7932 | |
| Peptic ulcer disease | 62.0 (6.0%) | 56.0 (5.4%) | 118.0 (5.7%) | 0.5302 | |
| PVD | 124.0 (12.0%) | 137.0 (13.1%) | 261.0 (12.6%) | 0.4422 | |
| Renal disease | 271.0 (26.2%) | 268.0 (25.6%) | 539.0 (25.9%) | 0.7702 | |
| Rheumatic disease | 45.0 (4.4%) | 29.0 (2.8%) | 74.0 (3.6%) | 0.0522 | |
| Severe liver disease | 119.0 (11.5%) | 110.0 (10.5%) | 229.0 (11.0%) | 0.4742 | |
| Weight | 82.3 (25.3) | 81.9 (24.1) | 82.1 (24.7) | 0.7131 | |
| Central line | 779.0 (77.3%) | 553.0 (52.9%) | 1352.0 (65.0%) | <0.001 | |
| First hospital admission | 748.0 (72.3%) | 738.0 (70.6%) | 1486.0 (71.5%) | 0.3862 | |
| First ICU admission | 954.0 (92.3%) | 959.0 (91.8%) | 1913.0 (92.0%) | 0.6792 | |
| Mechanical ventilation before NE | 625.0 (60.4%) | 540.0 (51.7%) | 1165.0 (56.0%) | <0.001 | |
| Fluids received prior to NE | 2218.6 (1885.5) | 937.7 (1117.6) | 1575.1 (1675.0) | <0.001 | |
| Fluids per kg per hour | 2.5 (2.4) | 8.3 (28.0) | 5.4 (20.2) | <0.001 | |
| Fluids per kg | 29.2 (26.5) | 12.4 (15.6) | 20.7 (23.3) | <0.001 | |
| Hospital LOS | 16.2 (15.7) | 16.8 (40.4) | 16.5 (30.7) | 0.6461 | |
| ICU LOS | 6.8 (7.1) | 5.9 (12.8) | 6.4 (10.4) | 0.0351 | |
| Mortality | 219.0 (21.2%) | 156.0 (14.9%) | 375.0 (18.0%) | <0.001 | |
| Days until death | 8.7 (7.2) | 9.0 (7.2) | 8.8 (7.2) | 0.689 | |
| Late NE (n=409) | Early NE (n=504) | Total (n=913) | P value | ||
| Mechanical ventilation after NE (IMV) | 88.0 (21.5%) | 145.0 (28.8%) | 233.0 (25.5%) | 0.0122 | |
| Mortality by NE administration route | Late NE (n=799) | Early NE (n=553) | Total (n=1352) | P value | |
| Central line | 173.0 (21.7%) | 85.0 (15.4%) | 258.0 (19.1%) | 0.0041 | |
| Late NE (n=235) | Early NE (n=492) | Total (n=727) | P value | ||
| Peripheral line | 46.0 (19.6%) | 71.0 (14.4%) | 117.0 (16.1%) | 0.0781 |
CHF, congestive heart failure; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVD, cardiovascular disease; ICU, intensive care unit; IMV, invasive mechanical ventilation; LOS, length of stay; MI, myocardial infarction; NE, norepinephrine; PVD, peripheral vascular disease; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.