Summary statistics and statistical comparisons between the early gastrostomy group and the control group regarding variables that may affect development of ventilator-associated pneumonia
| Variables | Early gastrostomy group | Control group | p-value |
| Subjects n | 20 | 21 | |
| Age yrs | 48±15.2 | 46.6±15.4 | >0.05 |
| Females | 4 (20) | 5 (24) | >0.05 |
| Diagnosis on admission | |||
| Stroke | 13 (65) | 12 (57) | >0.05 |
| Head injury | 7 (35) | 9 (43) | |
| APACHE II score | 15±1.7 | 14.7±1.4 | >0.05 |
| Transport out of the ICU | |||
| Yes | 20 (100) | 21 (100) | >0.05 |
| Paranasal sinusitis | |||
| Yes | 9 (45) | 10 (48) | >0.05 |
| Cardiovascular disease | |||
| Hypertension | 8 (40) | 7 (33) | >0.05 |
| Diastolic dysfunction of left ventricle | 2 (10) | 3 (14) | >0.05 |
Data are presented as mean±sd or n (%). APACHE: Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation; ICU: Intensive care unit.