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Table 4 Baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients who received and did not receive neuromuscular blockers

From: A ventilator strategy combining low tidal volume ventilation, recruitment maneuvers, and high positive end-expiratory pressure does not increase sedative, opioid, or neuromuscular blocker use in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome and may improve patient comfort

Variables

NMB

No NMB

Pvalue

n= 431

n= 552

Baseline characteristics

   

Age, years, mean (SD)

54.4 (16.7)

56.9 (16.3)

0.02

Female sex, n (%)

165 (38.3)

229 (41.5)

0.31

APACHE II score, mean (SD)

26.7 (7.3)

24.3 (7.9)

<0.0001

PaO2/FiO2, mean (SD)

132.0 (48.5)

154.6 (46.3)

<0.0001

Set PEEP, cm H2O, mean (SD)

12.0 (3.5)

10.7 (3.1)

<0.0001

Pplateau, cm H2O, mean (SD)

30.9 (6.0)

28.7 (5.4)

<0.0001

PaCO2, mean (SD)

44.2 (11.1)

40.7 (8.4)

<0.0001

pH, mean (SD)

7.35 (0.08)

7.38 (0.08)

<0.0001

Tidal volume, ml/kg PBW, mean (SD)

8.2 (2.2)

8.6 (2.1)

0.01

Minute ventilation, l/min, mean (SD)

11.6 (3.5)

11.4 (3.4)

0.20

Barotrauma, n (%)

19 (4.4)

17 (3.1)

0.27

Hepatic failure/cirrhosis, n (%)

18 (4.2)

26 (4.7)

0.69

Chronic dialysis, n (%)

34 (7.9)

62 (11.2)

0.08

Interventions and outcomes

   

Corticosteroids during first 28 days, n (%)

227 (52.7)

183 (33.2)

<0.0001

Mechanical ventilation, days, median (IQR)

14 (8 to 23)

8 (5 to 12)

<0.0001

Hospital stay, days, median (IQR)

24 (14 to 44)

20 (11 to 37)

0.01

Death during first 28 days, n (%)

168 (37.0)

131 (23.7)

<0.0001

Death in ICU, n (%)

191 (44.3)

132 (23.9)

<0.0001

Death during mechanical ventilation, n (%)

185 (43.5)

119 (22.1)

<0.0001

Barotraumaa, n (%)

93 (21.6)

69 (12.5)

0.0001

  1. In this table, we compare baseline characteristics and outcomes in all 983 patients enrolled in the LOV Study according to whether they received neuromuscular blockers (NMBs) or not. SD, standard deviation; APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; MOD, multiple organ dysfunction; PEEP, positive end-expiratory pressure; PBW, predicted body weight; ICU, intensive care unit. aRegardless of baseline status of barotrauma; 34 of 93 patients developed barotrauma after NMB administration.