Gastrointestinal manifestations of critical ill heatstroke patients and their associations with outcomes: A multicentre, retrospective, observational study

Table 2 Clinical characteristics of the heatstroke patients with endotracheal intubation, according to developed gastrointestinal symptoms or not¹

	All intubated patients (n = 439)	GI symptoms whether2		P value
		Yes (n = 108)	No (n = 331)
Characteristic
Age, median (IQR), yr	71.0 (63.0-80.0)	72.0 (64.0-80.0)	69.5 (59.8-78.0)	0.202
Female sex, n (%)	197 (44.9)	49 (45.4)	148 (44.7)	0.905
GCS score at ICU admission, median (IQR)	4.0 (3.0-5.0)	4.0 (3.0-5.0)	4.0 (4.0-5.0)	0.204
NRS score at ICU admission, median (IQR)	4.0 (3.0-5.0)	3.0 (3.0-5.0)	4.0 (3.0-5.0)	0.057
Body temperature on admission
Patients, n (%)	439 (100.0)	108 (100.0)	331 (100.0)	0.348
Temperature, median (IQR), °C	41.0 (40.0-41.8)	41.0 (40.0-42.0)	41.0 (40.0-41.6)	0.497
Complaints and symptoms on admission, n (%)
Fever	296 (67.4)	76 (70.4)	220 (66.5)	0.452
Altered mental state or behavior	205 (46.7)	41 (38.0)	164 (49.5)	0.036
Dry skin or excessive sweating	45 (10.3	20 (18.5)	25 (7.6)	0.001
Rubefaction	17 (3.9)	9 (8.3)	8 (2.4)	0.006
Fast pulse	99 (22.6)	34 (31.5)	65 (19.6)	0.105
Polypnea	122 (27.8)	31 (28.7)	91 (27.5)	0.807
Headache	7 (1.6)	2 (18.5)	5 (1.5)	0.805
Syncope	207 (47.2)	70 (64.8)	137 (41.4)	< 0.001
Other	61 (13.9)	71 (65.7)	40 (12.1)	< 0.001
Laboratory findings, median (IQR)
PaO2/FiO2 ratio	225.0 (135.5-306.5)	221.0 (148.7-308.0)	226.0 (155.0-305.5)	0.999
White-cell count, 109/L	11.7 (8.1-15.6)	11.8 (8.0-15.8)	11.7 (8.1-15.6)	0.405
Lymphocyte count, 109/L	1.7 (0.8-2.8)	1.6 (0.8-2.8)	1.8 (0.8-28)	0.279
Platelet count, 109/L	92.0 (56.0-138.0)	83.5 (55.5-114.5)	97.0 (59.0-141.0)	0.143
Hemoglobin, g/L	124.0 (109.0-139.0)	121.0 (108.3-135.8)	125.0 (110.0-139.0)	0.053
Albumin, g/L	35.3 (32.5-38.9)	34.5 (31.8-38.0)	35.3 (32.5-38.9)	0.028
EN support
Early (< 48 h) EN, n (%)	68 (15.5)	13 (12.0)	55 (16.6)	0.253
Average EN calorie, median (IQR), kcal/d	1000.0 (750.0-1500.0)	1000.0 (750.0-1500.0)	1000.0 (750.0-1500.0)	0.559
Average EN protein, median (IQR), g/d	28.0 (17.0-56.0)	30.0 (17.0-56.0)	28.0 (20.0-56.0)	0.867
Average EN volume, median (IQR), mL/d	600.0 (150.0-1150.0)	625.0 (142.5-1200.0)	600.0 (150.0-1082.5)	0.31
Complications, n (%)
Disturbance of water and electrolyte	271 (61.7)	89 (82.4)	187 (56.5)	< 0.001
Rhabdomyolysis	81 (18.5)	31 (28.7)	50 (15.1)	0.002
Myocardial damage	216 (49.2)	63 (58.0)	153 (46.2)	0.029
Disseminated intravascular coagulation	172 (39.2)	54 (50.0)	118 (35.6)	0.001
Acute respiratory distress syndrome	226 (51.5)	62 (57.4)	164 (49.5)	0.156
Acute kidney injury	233 (53.1)	77 (71.3)	156 (47.1)	< 0.001
Acute liver function impairment	332 (75.6)	73 (65.6)	159 (48.0)	< 0.001
Central nervous system damage	206 (46.9)	65 (60.2)	141 (42.6)	0.001
Clinical outcomes at data cutoff, n (%)
Hospital discharge	210 (47.8)	51 (47.2)	159 (48.0)	0.234
Death	123 (28.0)	24 (22.2)	99 (29.9)	0.122
Still hospitalization	78 (17.8)	24 (22.2)	54 (16.3)	0.163
Transferred to another hospital	28 (6.4)	9 (8.3)	19 (5.7)	0.338

¹The denominators of patients who were included in the analysis are provided if they differed from the overall numbers in the group. Percentages may not total 100 because of rounding.

²Nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, or bloody stools are defined as gastrointestinal symptoms.

IQR: Interquartile range; GCS: Glasgow coma scale; NRS: Nutrition risk screening; GI: Gastrointestinal; EN: Enteral nutrition; ICU: Intensive care unit.