Main characteristics of patients (N=67)
| Characteristic | Mean±SD (min−max) or n (%) |
|---|---|
| Age, years | 70±18 (22–105) |
| Sex, male | 35 (52) |
| Past medical history | |
| COPD | 17 (25) |
| Asthma | 13 (20) |
| Chronic respiratory insufficiency | 12 (18) |
| Smokers | 15 (22) |
| Chronic heart failure | 17 (25) |
| Clinical characteristics | |
| Systolic BP (mm Hg) | 139±33 (83–225) |
| Diastolic BP (mm Hg) | 81±21 (41–136) |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 95±26 (28–150) |
| Respiratory rate (/min) | 30±10 (11–70) |
| SpO2 (%) | 91±6 (76–100) |
| Temperature (°C) | 37±0.9 (34–39) |
| Final diagnosis | |
| Acute heart failure | 19 (29) |
| Pulmonary embolism | 4 (6) |
| Pneumonia | 19 (29) |
| COPD exacerbation | 19 (29) |
| Asthma | 8 (12) |
| Sepsis | 2 (3) |
| Other | 10 (15) |
| Arterial blood gas measurements | |
| pH | 7.37±0.08 (7.12–7.53) |
| PaO2 | 80±28 (41–154) |
| PaCO2 | 49±16 (22–103) |
| Transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure | |
| PtcCO2 | 39.8±16.5 (4–93) |
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PaCO2, arterial carbon dioxide pressure; PaO2, arterial oxygen pressure; PtcCO2, transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure; SpO2, blood oxygen saturation.