Baseline characteristics
| Variables | N | Suspected sepsis |
| No of patients, n (%) | 509 | 509 (100) |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 509 | 74.0 (58.0–82.0) |
| Female gender, n (%) | 509 | 246 (48.3) |
| Method of arrival, n (%) | 509 | |
| Ambulance | 509 | 415 (81.5) |
| General practitioner referral | 509 | 27 (5.3) |
| Self-presented | 509 | 62 (12.2) |
| Community team referral | 509 | 3 (0.6) |
| Outpatient clinic referral | 509 | 1 (0.2) |
| Police transport | 509 | 1 (0.2) |
| Location within the ED, n(%) | ||
| Resuscitation room | 509 | 228 (44.8) |
| Majors | 509 | 171 (33.6) |
| Minors | 509 | 4 (0.8) |
| Majors transferred to resuscitation room | 509 | 21 (4.1) |
| Resuscitation room transferred to majors | 509 | 2 (0.4) |
| Not documented | 509 | 83 (16.3) |
| Initial emergency department observations, mean±SD or median (IQR) | ||
| RR (breaths per minute) (first available RR used)* |
507
(509) |
22.9±6
(22.4±6) |
| HR (beats per minute) | 509 | 105.7±23.4 |
| Systolic BP (mm Hg) (first available SBP used)* |
506
(509) |
126.5±29.9
(126.4±29.9) |
| Diastolic BP (mm Hg) (first available dBP used)* |
506
(509) |
70.2±16.2
(70.2±16.3) |
| Mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) (first available BP used)* |
506
(509) |
89.0±19.26
(88.9±19.29) |
| Saturations (%) (first available saturation used)* |
501
(509) |
95.3±3.9
(95.2±3.9) |
| FiO2
(first available FiO2 used)* |
506
(508) |
0.21 (0.21–0.35) (0.21 (0.21–0.35) |
| Temperature (oC) (first available temperature used)* |
502
(508) |
37.7±1.2
(37.7±1.2) |
| GCS (first available GCS used)* |
478
(506) |
15(14-15) (15(14-15)) |
| qSOFA ≥2, n(%) | ||
| Missing values considered as 0 points | 509 | 132 (25.9) |
| First available values used | 509 | 139 (27.3) |
| NEWS, median (IQR) | ||
| Missing values considered as 0 points | 509 | 6 (3–8) |
| First available values used | 509 | 6 (3–8) |
| Change in SOFA score, median (IQR) | 509 | 2 (0–3) |
| Change in SOFA ≥2, n(%) | 509 | 256 (50.3) |
| Definitive infection and change of SOFA ≥2, n(%) | 509 | 251 (49.3) |
*If the first value was missing, the next recorded value was used.
BP, blood pressure; ED, emergency department; FiO2, fraction of inspired oxygen; GCS, Glasgow Comma Scale; HR, heart rate; NEWS, National Early Warning Score; qSOFA, quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; RR, respiratory rate; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.