Background
Methods
Ethical approval
Patient population and definition of anaemia
Primary outcome
Definition of the covariate
Statistical analyses
Propensity score-based analyses
Subgroup analysis
Results
Characteristics of the enrolled critically ill patients and the propensity score-matched population
Before PSM | 1:1 PSM | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hb ≥ 10 | Hb < 10 | SMD | Hb ≥ 10 | Hb < 10 | SMD | ||
n = 3,900 | n = 3,189 | n = 1,685 | n = 1,685 | ||||
Basic characteristics
| |||||||
Age, years | 64.6 ± 15.9 | 67.5 ± 16.1 | 0.186 | 68.1 ± 15.6 | 67.2 ± 16.5 | 0.058 | |
Sex (male) | 2656 (68.1%) | 1879 (58.9%) | 0.192 | 1085 (62.5%) | 1085 (62.5%) | < 0.001 | |
Body mass index | 24.6 ± 4.7 | 23.4 ± 4.6 | 0.257 | 23.4 ± 4.6 | 23.5 ± 4.6 | 0.020 | |
Comorbidities
| |||||||
Diabetes mellitus | 1200 (30.8%) | 1148 (36%) | 0.111 | 603 (34.7%) | 613 (35.3%) | 0.012 | |
Myocardial infarction | 1283 (32.9%) | 481 (15.1%) | 0.427 | 313 (18%) | 322 (18.5%) | 0.013 | |
Congestive heart failure | 599 (15.4%) | 521 (16.3%) | 0.027 | 309 (17.8%) | 284 (16.4%) | 0.038 | |
Valvular heart disease | 168 (4.3%) | 125 (3.9%) | 0.020 | 4 (0.5%) | 4 (0.5%) | < 0.001 | |
Dementia | 180 (4.6%) | 191 (6%) | 0.061 | 122 (7%) | 109 (6.3%) | 0.030 | |
Cerebrovascular disease | 923 (23.7%) | 563 (17.7%) | 0.149 | 356 (20.5%) | 341 (19.6%) | 0.022 | |
Hemiplegia | 114 (2.9%) | 51 (1.6%) | 0.089 | 38 (2.2%) | 36 (2.1%) | 0.008 | |
Peripheral vascular disease | 230 (5.9%) | 194 (6.1%) | 0.008 | 118 (6.8%) | 118 (6.8%) | < 0.001 | |
Renal disease | 562 (14.4%) | 1209 (37.9%) | 0.555 | 412 (23.7%) | 476 (27.4%) | 0.085 | |
COPD | 261 (6.7%) | 155 (4.9%) | 0.079 | 118 (6.8%) | 98 (5.6%) | 0.048 | |
Lymphoma/leukaemia | 80 (2.1%) | 304 (9.5%) | 0.324 | 74 (4.3%) | 113 (6.5%) | 0.100 | |
Metastatic solid tumour | 475 (12.2%) | 727 (22.8%) | 0.282 | 358 (20.6%) | 369 (21.2%) | 0.016 | |
Rheumatic disease | 126 (3.2%) | 229 (7.2%) | 0.179 | 91 (5.2%) | 94 (5.4%) | 0.008 | |
Peptic ulcer | 303 (7.8%) | 466 (14.6%) | 0.218 | 208 (12%) | 210 (12.1%) | 0.004 | |
Mild liver disease | 322 (8.3%) | 548 (17.2%) | 0.270 | 228 (13.1%) | 264 (15.2%) | 0.059 | |
Moderate or severe liver disease | 74 (1.9%) | 246 (7.7%) | 0.274 | 68 (3.9%) | 102 (5.9%) | 0.091 | |
Severity and managements
| |||||||
APACHE II score | 22.4 ± 5.6 | 26.3 ± 6.6 | 0.651 | 24.4 ± 6 | 24.8 ± 6 | 0.067 | |
Presence of sepsis | 371 (9.5%) | 694 (21.8%) | 0.342 | 345 (19.9%) | 345 (19.9%) | < 0.001 | |
Presence of shock | 1462 (37.5%) | 2055 (64.4%) | 0.560 | 1023 (58.9%) | 1023 (58.9%) | < 0.001 | |
Receiving mechanical ventilation | 1435 (36.8%) | 2042 (64%) | 0.566 | 1041 (59.9%) | 1039 (59.8%) | 0.002 | |
Receiving RBC transfusion | 638 (16.4%) | 2432 (76.3%) | 1.503 | 495 (28.5%) | 1213 (69.8%) | 0.908 | |
RBC transfusion (units) | 2.8 ± 1.1 | 2.4 ± 0.9 | 0.409 | 2.9 ± 1.1 | 2.5 ± 1.1 | 0.377 | |
Laboratory data
| |||||||
White blood cell count (103/µl) | 10.6 ± 5.3 | 12.6 ± 5.7 | 0.170 | 12.0 ± 6.3 | 12.2 ± 16.2 | 0.016 | |
Platelet (103/µL) | 210.9 ± 87.4 | 159.3 ± 108.9 | 0.523 | 189.2 ± 94.7 | 180.8 ± 117.4 | 0.079 | |
Albumin (mg/dL) | 3.6 ± 0.8 | 2.9 ± 0.7 | 1.063 | 3.1 ± 0.6 | 3.1 ± 0.7 | 0.045 | |
Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL) | 24.5 ± 18.3 | 48 ± 33.6 | 0.870 | 33.1 ± 23.2 | 38.4 ± 29.8 | 0.195 | |
Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.4 ± 1.6 | 2.9 ± 2.8 | 0.620 | 1.9 ± 2.2 | 2.3 ± 2.6 | 0.139 | |
One-year mortality
| 988 (25.3%) | 1867 (58.5%) | 0.715 | 732 (42.1%) | 906 (52.2%) | 0.202 |
Association between anaemia and one-year mortality
Primary population | PSM population | IPTW population | CBPS populaiton | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HR (95%CI) | p value | HR (95%CI) | p value | HR (95%CI) | p value | HR (95%CI) | p value | |||||
Model 1
| 2.950 (2.730–3.187) | < 0.001 | 1.337 (1.213–1.474) | < 0.001 | 1.241 (1.076–1.433) | 0.003 | 1.454 (1.304–1.622) | < 0.001 | ||||
Model 2
| 2.175 (1.998–2.368) | < 0.001 | 1.334 (1.209–1.471) | < 0.001 | 1.253 (1.103–1.424) | 0.001 | 1.356 (1.216–1.513) | < 0.001 | ||||
Model 3
| 1.706 (1.564–1.861) | < 0.001 | 1.308 (1.185–1.443) | < 0.001 | 1.271 (1.126–1.436) | < 0.001 | 1.318 (1.178–1.476) | < 0.001 | ||||
Model 4
| 1.345 (1.227–1.474) | < 0.001 | 1.265 (1.145–1.397) | < 0.001 | 1.276 (1.142–1.427) | < 0.001 | 1.260 (1.125–1.411) | < 0.001 |
Analyses of interactive effects among patients in the PSM cohort
Variables | Subgroup | Number of patients | Events (death) | HR ratio (95%CI) | p value | p for interaction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years) | 0.586 | |||||
< 65 | 1388 | 612 | 1.367 (1.164–1.605) | < 0.001 | ||
≥ 65 | 2086 | 1026 | 1.325 (1.172–1.498) | < 0.001 | ||
Sex
| 0.168 | |||||
Female | 1304 | 531 | 1.210 (1.020–1.435) | 0.028 | ||
Male | 2170 | 1107 | 1.415 (1.256–1.593) | < 0.001 | ||
Renal disease
| 0.588 | |||||
No | 2586 | 1268 | 1.328 (1.189–1.483) | < 0.001 | ||
Yes | 888 | 370 | 1.433 (1.163–1.765) | 0.001 | ||
COPD
| 0.167 | |||||
No | 3258 | 1531 | 1.361 (1.230–1.506) | < 0.001 | ||
Yes | 216 | 107 | 1.031 (0.705–1.508) | 0.877 | ||
Lymphoma/leukaemia
| 0.575 | |||||
No | 3287 | 1513 | 1.316 (1.189–1.456) | < 0.001 | ||
Yes | 187 | 125 | 1.420 (0.985–2.048) | 0.060 | ||
Moderate or severe liver disease
| 0.004 | |||||
No | 3304 | 1519 | 1.361 (1.230–1.506) | < 0.001 | ||
Yes | 170 | 119 | 0.806 (0.560–1.159) | 0.245 | ||
APACHE II score* | 0.765 | |||||
≤ 23.00 | 737 | 275 | 1.388 (1.095–1.760) | 0.007 | ||
> 23.00 | 2737 | 1363 | 1.315 (1.182–1.463) | < 0.001 | ||
Blood transfusion
| 0.248 | |||||
No | 1766 | 688 | 1.219 (1.039–1.429) | 0.015 | ||
Yes | 1708 | 950 | 1.082 (0.939–1.246) | 0.275 | ||
Platelet (103/µL)* | 0.128 | |||||
< 173.8 | 1737 | 990 | 1.359 (1.197–1.542) | < 0.001 | ||
≥ 173.8 | 1737 | 648 | 1.187 (1.017–1.384) | 0.029 | ||
Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL)* | 0.799 | |||||
< 27.0 | 1707 | 691 | 1.326 (1.142–1.540) | < 0.001 | ||
≥ 27.0 | 1767 | 947 | 1.279 (1.124–1.455) | < 0.001 | ||
Creatinine (mg/dL)* | 0.699 | |||||
< 1.2 | 1660 | 700 | 1.289 (1.111–1.494) | 0.001 | ||
≥ 1.2 | 1814 | 938 | 1.305 (1.145–1.486) | < 0.001 |