Sagittal abdominal diameter may effectively predict future complications and increased mortality in intensive care unit patients with severe sepsis

Purpose

To investigate whether increased visceral adipose tissue is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in intensive care patients with severe sepsis.

Materials and Methods

In this prospective cohort study, body mass index (BMI) and sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) were measured in all patients with severe sepsis immediately after admission in the intensive care unit (ICU). The patients were followed up until death or discharge from ICU. The study’s primary outcome measure was mortality until day 60 after admission, while secondary outcomes were morbidity, length of stay, and length of ventilation in ICU.

Results

Of the 30 patients, 24 (80%) developed septic shock, 6 (20%) multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, 13 (43.3%) necessitated continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration, while 6 (20%) of them died. BMI and SAD had a statistically significant positive linear correlation with ICU length of stay (P < .001) and length of ventilation (P ≤ .001). However, only SAD was significantly correlated with the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (P = .033), the need for continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (P = .004), and death (P = .033).

Conclusion

An increased SAD may effectively predict future complications and increased mortality in intensive care unit patients with severe sepsis.     

Impact of serial measurements of lysophosphatidylcholine on 28-day mortality prediction in patients admitted to the intensive care unit with severe sepsis or septic shock

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of serial lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) measurement on 28-day mortality prediction in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

This is a prospective observational study of 74 ICU patients in a tertiary hospital. Serum LPC, white blood cell, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were measured at baseline (day 1 of enrollment) and day 7. The LPC concentrations were compared with inflammatory markers using their absolute levels and relative changes.

Results

The LPC concentration on day 7 was significantly lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors (68.45 ± 42.36 μmol/L and 99.76 ± 73.65 μmol/L; P = .04). A decreased LPC concentration on day 7 to its baseline as well as a sustained high concentration of PCT on day 7 at more than 50% of its baseline value was useful for predicting the 28-day mortality. Prognostic utility was substantially improved when combined LPC and PCT criteria were applied to 28-day mortality outcome predictions. Furthermore, LPC concentrations increased over time in patients with appropriate antibiotics but not in those with inappropriate antibiotics.

Conclusions

Serial measurements of LPC help in the prediction of 28-day mortality in ICU patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.     

Epidemiology of severe sepsis in Japanese intensive care units: A prospective multicenter study

Severe sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted a prospective multicenter study to evaluate epidemiology and outcome of severe sepsis in Japanese ICUs. The patients were registered at 15 general critical care centers in Japanese tertiary care hospitals when diagnosed as having severe sepsis. Of 14,417 patients, 624 (4.3%) were diagnosed with severe sepsis. Demographic and clinical characteristics at enrollment (Day 1), physiologic and blood variables on Days 1 and 4, and mortality were evaluated. Mean age was 69.0 years, and initial mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores were 23.4 and 8.6, respectively. The 28-day mortality was 23.1%, and overall hospital mortality was 29.5%. SOFA score and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) score were consistently higher in nonsurvivors than survivors on Days 1 and 4. SOFA score, DIC score on Days 1 and 4, and hospital mortality were higher in patients with than without septic shock. SOFA score on Days 1 and 4 and hospital mortality were higher in patients with than without DIC. Logistic regression analyses showed age, presence of septic shock, DIC, and cardiovascular dysfunction at enrollment to be predictors of 28-day mortality and presence of comorbidity to be an additional predictor of hospital mortality. Presence of septic shock or DIC resulted in approximately twice the mortality of patients without each factor, whereas the presence of comorbidity may be a significant predictor of delayed mortality in severe sepsis.     

Adult-population incidence of severe sepsis in Australian and New Zealand intensive care units

Objective To determine the population incidence and outcome of severe sepsis occurring in adult patients treated in Australian and New Zealand intensive care units (ICUs), and compare with recent retrospective estimates from the USA and UK.Design Inception cohort study.Setting Twenty-three closed multi-disciplinary ICUs of 21 hospitals (16 tertiary and 5 university affiliated) in Australia and New Zealand.Patients A total of 5878 consecutive ICU admission episodes.Measurements and results Main outcome measures were population-based incidence of severe sepsis, mortality at ICU discharge, mortality at 28 days after onset of severe sepsis, and mortality at hospital discharge. A total of 691 patients, 11.8 (95% confidence intervals 10.9–12.6) per 100 ICU admissions, were diagnosed with 752 episodes of severe sepsis. Site of infection was pulmonary in 50.3% of episodes and abdominal in 19.3% of episodes. The calculated incidence of severe sepsis in adults treated in Australian and New Zealand ICUs is 0.77 (0.76–0.79) per 1000 of population. 26.5% of patients with severe sepsis died in ICU, 32.4% died within 28 days of the diagnosis of severe sepsis and 37.5% died in hospital.Conclusion In this prospective study, 11.8 patients per 100 ICU admissions were diagnosed with severe sepsis and the calculated annual incidence of severe sepsis in adult patients treated in Australian and New Zealand ICUs is 0.77 per 1000 of population. This figure for the population incidence falls in the lower range of recent estimates from retrospective studies in the U.S. and the U.K.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at An editorial regarding this arcticle can be found in the same issue ()     

Patient severity as an indicator of nursing workload in the intensive care unit

The importance of measuring nursing workload in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been supported by both an increasing demand for nursing personnel and the relationship of nursing workload with patient safety. According to previous studies, the correlation between clinical severity of ICU patients and nursing workload measured by Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System has been estimated to be particularly high. The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical severity of ICU patients can be used for the prediction of nursing workload on a daily basis. All patients admitted in the ICU of the General University Hospital of Patras for a 5-month period were enrolled in the study. Projet de Recherche en Nursing (PRN) Réa and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores of patients were calculated, the first on a daily basis and the second on the day of admission. Simple linear regression was used for statistical analysis of data. One hundred thirty-eight patients were studied. A progressive increase in mean daily PRN Réa of patients all along the amplitude of APACHE II values was shown. APACHE II could predict 25.6% (p < 0.01) of the daily variability of PRN Réa of patients. Regarding categories of PRN Réa, respiration, communication, diagnostic methods and treatments were significantly predicted by APACHE II. APACHE II explained higher proportions of PRN Réa in medical male patients aged >60 years. Clinical severity of the ICU patients measured by APACHE II is an important early indicator of daily nursing workload, especially of care demands associated with respiration, diagnostic methods and treatments.     

The relationship between labour cost per patient and the size of intensive care units: a multicentre prospective study

Objective We examined the relationship between major ICU characteristics and labour cost per patient.Design Four-week prospective data collection, in which the hours spent by each physician and nurse on both in-ICU and extra-ICU activities were collected.Setting Eighty Italian adult ICUs.Measurements and results The cost of the time actually spent by ICU staff on ICU patients (labour cost) was computed for each participating unit, by applying to the average annual salaries the proportions of in-ICU activity working time for physicians and nurses. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify ICU characteristics that predict labour costs per patient. Labour cost per patient was positively correlated with ICU mortality and patients average length of stay (slopes =0.67, p =0.048 and 0.09, p <0.0001, respectively). Labour cost per patient decreases almost linearly as the number of beds increases up to about eight, and it remains nearly constant above about twelve beds. The number of patients admitted per physician (not per nurse) increases with the number of beds (Spearman correlation coefficient =0.567, p <0.0001).Conclusions Our findings suggest that ICUs with less than about 12 beds are not cost-effective.The authors appear on behalf of the GiViTI group [Gruppo Italiano per la Valutazione degli Interventi in Terapia Intensiva (Italian Group for the Evaluation of Interventions in Intensive Care Medicine)]. A complete list of study participants appears in the Appendix     

Evaluation of nurses’ workload in intensive care unit of a tertiary care university hospital in relation to the patients’ severity of illness: A prospective study

BackgroundsCosts of intensive care reach up to 30% of the hospital budget with workforce expenses being substantial. Determining proper nurse—patient ratio is necessary for optimizing patients’ health related outcomes and hospitals’ cost effective functioning.ObjectivesTo evaluate nurses’ workload using Nine Equivalents of Nursing Manpower Use Score and Nursing Activities Score scoring systems while assessing correlation between both scores and the severity of illness measured by Simplified Acute Physiology Score II.DesignA Prospective studySettingsCardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit of the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Croatia, from October 2014 to February 2015. This Intensive Care Unit has 3 beds that can be expanded upon need.ParticipantsThe study included 99 patients treated at this Unit during the study’s period. The scores were obtained by 6 nurses, working in 12 h shifts.MethodsMeasurements were obtained for each patient 24 h after admission and subsequently twice a day, at the end of the day shift (7 pm) and at the end of the night shift (7 am). The necessary data were obtained from the patient’s medical records.ResultsNursing Activities Score showed significantly higher number of nurses are required for one 12 h shift (Z = 3.76, p < 0.001). Higher scores were obtained on day shifts vs. night shifts. (Nursing Manpower Use Score, z = 3.25, p < 0.001; Nursing Activities Score, z = 4.16, p < 0.001). When comparing Nursing Activities Score and Nursing Manpower Use Score during the week, we calculated higher required number of nurses on weekdays than on weekends and holidays, (Nursing Manpower Use Score, p < 0.001; Nursing Activities Score, p < 0.001). Correlation analysis of Nursing Activities Score and Nursing Manpower Use Score with Simplified Acute Physiology Score II has shown that Nursing Manpower Use Score positively associated with severity of disease, while Nursing Activities Score shows no association.ConclusionBoth scores can be used to estimate required number of nurses in 12-h shifts, although Nursing Activities Score seems more suitable for units with prolonged length of stay, while Nursing Manpower Use Score appears better for units with shorter duration of stay (up to four days). Higher workload measured by Nursing Manpower Use Score scale can be predicted with higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II. However, with low Simplified Acute Physiology Score II scores it cannot be assumed that the nursing workload will also be low. Further research is needed to determine the best tool to asses nursing workload in intensive care units.     

Prevalence and incidence of severe sepsis in Dutch intensive care units

Introduction  

Severe sepsis is a dreaded consequence of infection and necessitates intensive care treatment. Severe sepsis has a profound impact on mortality and on hospital costs, but recent incidence data from The Netherlands are not available. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of severe sepsis occurring during the first 24 hours of admission in Dutch intensive care units (ICUs).     

Endotoxin activity levels as a prediction tool for risk of deterioration in patients with sepsis not admitted to the intensive care unit: A pilot observational study

Purpose

The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate in patients with sepsis not requiring intensive care unit admission the relationship between the levels of endotoxin activity assay (EAA) early after sepsis recognition and the risk of development of organ dysfunction (OD).

Methods

Endotoxin activity assay levels were drawn immediately after sepsis identification (baseline) and at 6, 24, and 48 hours postbaseline in 50 patients with signs of sepsis of a duration of less than 24 hours. An EAA 0.60 units or greater was considered as highly elevated.

Results

Logistic regression showed independent association between EAA levels at baseline and the appearance of new OD (adjusted odd ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-4.90; P < .05). Fifteen patients (30%) who developed new OD after baseline had at least 1 EAA level 0.60 or greater. The adjusted linear regression analysis showed that across the 4 time points, EAA levels were significantly higher in patients who developed new OD (0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.20; P < .05).

Conclusions

Endotoxin activity assay levels 0.60 or greater early after sepsis diagnosis in patients not requiring intensive care unit admission predict risk of development of new organ dysfunction. High EAA levels in the first 48 hours of recognition of sepsis are also predictive of risk of deterioration.     

Incidence and mortality of severe sepsis in surgical intensive care patients: the influence of patient gender on disease process and outcome

Objective: Laboratory studies demonstrated significant detrimental effects of male sex-steroids (testosterone) on immune functions following hemorrhagic shock and soft-tissue trauma. Moreover, better survival of female mice subjected to severe sepsis was observed when compared to male animals. The aims of the present study were to evaluate whether or not gender differences regarding incidence and mortality of severe sepsis do exist in surgical intensive care patients and to elucidate the influence of patient age on incidence and mortality of severe sepsis/septic shock.¶Design: Data base review of prospectively collected data from surgical intensive care patients.¶Setting: Surgical intensive care unit of the department of surgery of a university hospital.¶Patients: Prospectively collected data of 4218 intensive care patients (2709 male, 1509 female).¶Results: Significantly fewer female patients were referred to the intensive care unit (6.6 % vs 10.8 % of all patients; P < 0.05) leading to a significantly smaller proportion of female intensive care patients (35.8 % vs 64.2 %). No gender differences regarding number of failing organs or surgical procedure (exception vascular surgery) were observed in patients with and without severe sepsis/septic shock, indicating that the patients studied are comparable regarding general health prior to admission to SICU. Among all female patients referred to SICU only 7.6 % developed severe sepsis/septic shock, while 10.4 % of all male patients suffered from severe sepsis or septic shock (P < 0.05). This gender difference results from a significantly lower incidence of severe sepsis/septic shock in female patients between 60 and 79 years. No gender difference regarding mortality rates of severe sepsis/septic shock was observed (men 64.9 %, women 65.5 %).¶Conclusions: Our results indicate a significantly smaller number of female patients requiring intensive care as well as a significantly lower incidence of severe sepsis/septic shock in female intensive care patients. Mortality from severe sepsis/septic shock, however, is not affected by gender.     

新建综合性监护病房医院感染特点及病原菌耐药分析

目的 了解新建综合监护病房(ICU)医院感染特点及病原学耐药情况,为临床合理用药提供依据.方法 采用回顾性调查方法,分析我院综合ICU成立1年来收治且纳入研究的142例患者的医院感染情况并与同期我院收治的其他住院患者相比较.结果 142例中共22例31例次发生医院感染,ICU医院感染率为15.49%,例次感染率21.83%;同期我院共收治住院患者15 978例,其中324例413例次发生医院感染,医院感染率为2.03%,按例次计为2.58%.ICU与全院医院感染率相比,差异有统计学意义(P均＜0.01).ICU感染好发部位主要为下呼吸道感染,占70.96%;病原菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主(65.12%),其次为革兰阳性球菌(23.26%)及真菌(11.63%);最常见病原菌为大肠埃希菌(32.56%)及金黄色葡萄球菌(11.63%);革兰阴性菌对头孢哌酮/舒巴坦、亚胺培南、美洛培南、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦均高度敏感;革兰阳性菌对万古霉素、利奈唑胺、替考拉宁100%敏感.结论 新建ICU医院感染病原菌在构成、分布及耐药性等方面与国内研究结果基本一致;革兰阴性菌为其主要病原菌,大肠埃希菌占医院感染的第一位.     

外科重症监护病房严重腹腔感染患者预后危险因素分析

目的 探讨影响外科重症监护病房(SICU)严重腹腔感染患者预后的危险因素.方法 回顾性分析2008年1月至2011年4月本院SICU收治的69例严重腹腔感染患者的临床资料,按患者出SICU时的结局分为存活组(42例)和死亡组(27例),采用单因素分析和多因素logistic回归分析筛选和判定与SICU严重腹腔感染患者预后相关的危险因素.结果 单因素分析结果显示,急性生理学与慢性健康状况评分系统Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)评分、腹腔感染灶处理不充分、初始抗菌药物治疗不适当以及合并脓毒性休克是影响SICU严重腹腔感染患者预后的危险因素[存活组分别为(11.76±3.48)分、3例、3例和24例;死亡组分别为(17.12±4.50)分、21例、15例和27例,均P＜0.01];logistic回归分析表明,APACHEⅡ评分＞15分和腹腔感染灶处理不充分是影响预后的独立危险因素,P值分别为0.044和0.018,相对危险度(RR值)分别为6.846和21.319.结论 动态监测APACHEⅡ评分、及时充分处理腹腔感染灶,可以降低SICU严重腹腔感染患者的病死率.     

重症监护病房医院内感染临床特点及病原菌耐药性分析

目的 探讨重症监护病房(ICU)医院内感染的临床特点及病原菌种类、分布及其耐药情况,为临床合理使用抗菌药物、预防和控制医院感染提供参考和依据.方法 采用前瞻性监测与回顾性调查相结合的方法,对2008年4月至2010年3月我院ICU收治的392例住院患者临床资料进行统计分析.结果 发生医院感染78例,医院感染发生率为19.89%(78/392),感染112例次(28.57%);感染部位以下呼吸道为主,占54.46%(61/112),其次是泌尿道感染,占15.19%(17/112),血液感染占11.61%(13/112);分离出病原菌152株,以G-杆菌为主,占69.7%(106/152),其次是G+球菌,占17.8%(27/152),真菌占12.5%(19/152);主要病原菌鲍曼不动杆菌、铜绿假单胞菌、肺炎克雷伯菌、金黄色葡萄球菌等对多种抗菌药物表现为高度耐药、多重耐药甚至泛耐药.结论 重症监护病房医院内感染发生率高,以下呼吸道感染为主,主要病原菌对抗菌药物耐药情况严重.规范、合理使用抗菌药物,控制多重耐药菌在ICU内的传播和流行,可减少ICU医院内感染的发生.     

Clinical and economic impact of procalcitonin to shorten antimicrobial therapy in septic patients with proven bacterial infection in an intensive care setting

Biomarkers such as procalcitonin (PCT) have been studied to guide duration of antibiotic therapy. We aimed to assess whether a decrease in PCT levels could be used to reduce the duration of antibiotic therapy in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with a proven infection without risking a worse outcome. We assessed 265 patients with suspected sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock in our ICU. Of those, we randomized 81 patients with a proven bacterial infection into 2 groups: an intervention group in which the duration of the antibiotic therapy was guided by a PCT protocol and a control group in which there was no PCT guidance. In the per-protocol analysis, the median antibiotic duration was 9 days in the PCT group (n = 20) versus 13 days in the non-PCT group (n = 31), P = 0.008. This study demonstrates that PCT can be a useful tool for limiting antimicrobial therapy in ICU patients with documented bacterial infection.     

重症监护病房医院感染病原菌监测及耐药性分析

目的 了解综合性重症监护病房(ICU)获得性感染的流行病学及细菌耐药性情况,为临床治疗提供依据.方法 对我院2010年1月1日至2011年12月31日ICU所有分离的细菌菌株、真菌菌株的耐药性进行回顾性调查.结果 医院获得性感染中仍以G-菌为主,占73.3％;其次为G+菌17.9％,真菌8.7％.在细菌感染中,G-菌占80.3％,G+菌占19.7％.G-菌仍以铜绿假单胞菌为主,占21.7％.G+菌以金黄色葡萄球菌为主,占31.4％.耐药性方面,细菌耐药性严重,真菌耐药性较轻.结论 细菌对常用抗生素的耐药严重,且呈多重耐药.应严格掌握抗生素使用原则,根据药敏试验结果选用抗生素.     

Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of systemic Candida infection in surgical patients under intensive care

The incidence of systemic Candida infections in patients requiring intensive care has increased substantially in recent years as a result of a combination of factors. More patients with severe underlying disease or immunosuppression from anti-neoplastic or anti-rejection chemotherapy and at risk from fungal infection are now admitted to the ICU. Improvements in supportive medical and surgical care have led to many patients who would previously have died as a result of trauma or disease surviving to receive intensive care. Moreover, some therapeutic interventions used in the ICU, most notably broad-spectrum antibiotics and intravascular catheters, are also associated with increased risks of candidiasis. Systemic Candida infections are associated with a high morbidity and mortality, but remain difficult to diagnose and ICU staff need to be acutely aware of this often insidious pathogen. A number of studies have identified risk factors for systemic Candida infection which may be used to identify those at highest risk. Such patients may be potential candidates for early, presumptive therapy. Here we review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, morbidity and mortality of systemic Candida infections in the ICU setting, and examine predisposing risk factors. Antifungal treatment, including the use of amphotericin B, flucytosine and fluconazole, and the roles of early presumptive therapy and prophylaxis, is also reviewed. Received: 1 March 1997 Accepted: 2 December 1997