Table 1 Patients’ characteristics

Age (years)

73 ± 3

74 ± 4

73 ± 4

0.7946

Male (%)

80

85

72

0.5127

APACHE II

26 ± 2

25 ± 2

28 ± 3

0.4645

SAPS II

41 ± 2

39 ± 3

43 ± 3

0.4815

SOFA

9 ± 1

9 ± 1

9 ± 1

0.7636

Mechanical ventilation (%)

76

79

73

0.7872

Need for vasopressors (%)

100

100

100

1

Sites of infection (%)

 Lung

72

86

55

0.0849

 Urogenital

16

14

18

0.7350

 Other

12

7

27

0.7341

Microbiological data (n)

 Gram-negative/positive

3/7

3/4

0/3

0.4750

Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dl)

77 ± 8

70 ± 9

86 ± 14

0.3497

Creatinine (mg/dl)

1.8 ± 0.2

1.4 ± 0.2

2.5 ± 0.2

<0.01

WBC (/μl)

11.7 ± 1.4

11.9 ± 2

11.4 ± 2

0.8834

CRP (mg/dl)

16.8 ± 2.6

21 ± 4

12 ± 2

0.1447

PCT (ng/ml)

8.7 ± 3.4

7.8 ± 2.5

10.4 ± 8.8

0.4982

Co-morbidities (%)

 Coronary artery disease

28

33

18

0.3895

 NYHA IV

4

0

9

0.2496

 COPD

27

24

9

0.0620

 Pulmonary hypertension

8

7

9

0.8586

 Immunosuppression

23

21

27

0.7341

 Hepatic disease

8

7

9

0.8586

Reasons for CVVHD (%)

 Anuria/oliguria

81

 Hyperkalemia

18

 Acidosis

18