Table 2 Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who presented at the surgical department during three periods of time

Age, years

52.1 ± 20.9

48.9 ± 22.2

51.9 ± 20.7

P = 0.48

Gender

 Male

257 (56)

42 (59%)

92 (62%)

P = 0.48

 Female

200 (44%)

29 (41%)

57 (38%)

Heart failure

58 (13%)

9 (13%)

29 (20%)

P = 0.11

Diabetes

118 (26%)

5 (7%)

23 (15%)

P ^1,2 <0.01

Kidney failure

20 (4%)

7 (10%)

8 (6%)

P = 0.15

COPD

43 (9.2%)

15 (21.1%)

23 (15.8%)

P ^1,3 <0.05

Asthma

43 (9.2%)

8 (11.3%)

24 (16.4%)

P ² = 0.02

Hemoglobin

13.2 ± 2.2

13.6 ± 2.3

13.1 ± 2.1

P = 0.16

White blood cell count

11.4 ± 3.7

11.5 ± 4.0

11.85 ± 4.30

P = 0.41

CRP, median, IQR

16.3 [4.9–57.8]

13.4 [5.1–54.0]

12.8 n = 2

P = 0.58

Body temperature

36.8 ± 0.37

36.7 ± 0.22

36.8 ± 0.59

p = 0.98

pH

7.37 ± 0.06

7.35 ± 0.05

7.51 n = 1

P = 0.60

Heart rate

80.0 ± 12.1

80.1 ± 8.9

81.7 ± 14.5

P = 0.65

Pain, according to VAS

6.39 ± 1.17

8.72 ± 0.81

 N/A

P < 0.001

Creatinine

0.99 ± 0.64

0.89 ± 0.24

1.06 ± 0.42

P = 0.15

BMI

27.9 ± 5.3

27.7 ± 4.5

23.2 n = 1

P = 0.60

Time from symptoms, median, IQR

1.5 [1–3]

3[ 1–4]

1 [ 0.42–1.5]

P ^1,2,3 <0.001

Treatment

P ^1,2 <0.001

 Surgery

166 % (36%)

45 (63%)

93 (63%)

P = 1.00

 Invasive

9 (2%)

0

3 (2%)

P = 1.00

 Invasive and conservative

10 (2%)

0

4 (3%)

*P ¹  = 0.0004

 Conservative

*272 (60%)

*26 (37%)

48 (32%)

P ²  < 0.0001

 Dementia (cognitive status)

23 (5%)

8 (11.3%)

10 (6.7%)

P = 0.054