Clinical characteristics on admission by cortisol level
| Severe low cortisol | Relative low cortisol | Normal cortisol | P value | |
| ≤15 µg/dL | 15.01–25 µg/dL | >25 µg/dL | ||
| N | 22 (12%) | 83 (44%) | 84 (44%) | – |
| Male gender | 16 (73%) | 67 (81%) | 63 (75%) | 0.59 |
| Mechanism of injury | ||||
| Bike/Ped v auto | 4 (18%) | 12 (15%) | 8 (10%) | 0.45 |
| Fall | 1 (4%) | 4 (5%) | 18 (21%) | 0.002 |
| MVC/MCC | 12 (55%) | 41 (49%) | 32 (38%) | 0.22 |
| Other blunt | 2 (9%) | 5 (6%) | 15 (18%) | 0.054 |
| GSW/SW | 3 (14%) | 21 (25%) | 11 (13%) | 0.11 |
| Age | 44±3 | 40±2 | 44±2 | 0.44 |
| GCS | 6 (3–12) | 12 (3–15) | 8 (3–15) | 0.18 |
| SBP | 97 (78–115) | 110 (80–116) | 126 (94–144)* | 0.027 |
| HR | 104 (69–122) | 92 (80–116) | 112 (90–125) | 0.02 |
| Base deficit | −5.2(−9.7 to −3.1] | −4.3(−7.4 to −2.8] | −4.6(−7.5 to −1.3] | 0.46 |
| Albumin | 2.8 [2.4–2.9] | 2.7 [2.5–3.1] | 3.0 [2.7–3.4)* | 0.01 |
| ISS | 29 (22–36) | 26 (19–33) | 22 (13 - 26)* | <0.001 |
| AIS≥3 | ||||
| Head/neck | 13 (59%) | 43 (52%) | 52 (62%) | 0.41 |
| Chest | 14 (64%) | 49 (59%) | 33 (39%)* | 0.017 |
| Abdomen/pelvis | 10 (46%) | 22 (27%) | 11 (13%)* | 0.003 |
| Extremities | 5 (23%) | 23 (28%) | 11 (13%) | 0.064 |
*p < 0.05 compared with cortisol ≤15 µg/dL.
AIS, abbreviated injury scale; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; GSW, gunshot wound; HR, heart rate; ISS, injury severity score; MCC, motorcycle collision; MVC, motor vehicle collision; Ped, pedestrian; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SW, stab wound.