Table 2 Characteristics of the patients with ICU length of stay (LOS) ≤ 2 and > 2 days

Number of patients (%)

64 (69)

29 (31)

Number of males (%)

41 (64)

23 (79)

0.157

Age, y: median (IQR)^a

74 (66-79)

74 (66-77)

0.584

Education (%):

   < 8 years

17 (27)

16 (55)

   ≥8 years

47 (73)

13 (45)

Use of any benzodiazepines (%)

8 (12)

3 (10)

1

Use of any antidepressants (%)

5 (8)

3 (10)

0.701

Use of any antihypertensive drugs (%)

55 (86)

23 (79)

0.544

Use of any B-blockers (%)

15 (23)

7 (24)

1

Use of any statins (%)

14 (22)

10 (34)

0.211

Smoking habits (%): no

36 (56)

19 (65)

0.453

Alcohol (%): no

22 (34)

9 (31)

0.656

Type of surgery (%):

   General

9 (14)

10 (34)

0.064

   Orthopaedic

28 (44)

8 (27)

   Urologic

27 (42)

11 (38)

Type of anaesthesia (%): regional ± general

13 (21)

6 (21)

0.814

   general

51 (79)

23 (79)

ICU and hospital course

SAPS II median (IQR)^a

29 (23-39)

31 (26-44)

0.309

Mechanical Ventilation in ICU (%)

24 (37)

17 (58)

0.073

Mechanical Ventilation (hours) median (IQR)^a

8 (3-8)

42 (13-88)

0.009

Delirium in ICU (%)

0

6 (20)

0.001

ICU LOS^a (days) median (IQR)^a

1 (1-2)

1 (1-3)

< 0.001

Hospital LOS (days) median (IQR)^a

6 (5-8)

9 (6-14)

0.004

Follow-up at 3 months

Perceived severity of illness > 5 (%)^b

14 (22)

9 (31)

0.437

PTSS-14 median (IQR)^a

23 (18-30)

26 (20-33)

0.088

HRQOL Comparison: worse (%)

21 (33)

13 (45)

0.378

Follow-up at 6 months (89 patients)

Perceived severity of illness > 5 (%)^b

9 (14)

8 (27)

0.072

PTSS-14 median (IQR)^a

23 (18-30)

26 (20-33)

0.001

HRQOL Comparison: worse (%)

16 (25)

9 (31)

0.438