Interleukin-8 as a predictor of the severity of bacteremia and infectious disease

The relationship between cytokines and sepsis has been studied frequently in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the determination of cytokines in patients as they enter the emergency department (ED) would be more meaningful in predicting the outcome of infection. This study investigated plasma interleukin-8 in the ED as the predictor of bacteremia and sepsis. One hundred patients admitted through the ED with signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome were studied. Plasma IL-8, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patient's data were evaluated using the APACHE II scoring system as predictive factors of morbidity and mortality. Plasma IL-8 (149 pg/mL) detected bacteremia with a positive predictive value of 90.9% and a specificity of 98.7%. Results indicated that the odds ratios (ORs) of bacteremia were 24.78 (P < 0.01, CI = 2.27-270.8), 5.42 (P < 0.05, CI = 1.37-21.4), and 6.05 (P < 0.05, CI = 1.36-26.8) for IL-8, IL-6, and APACHE II, respectively. Occurrence of bacteremia was highly correlated with increases in plasma IL-8 (P < 0.01). IL-8 (OR = 8.25, CI = 1.03-65.9) and APACHE II scores (OR = 12.6, CI = 2.24-70.4) were found to be significantly better predictive factors of mortality (P < 0.01) than IL-6 (OR = 3.60, CI = 0.57-22.7), TNF (OR = 0.24, CI = 0.01-11.0) and age (OR = 1.02, CI = 0.98-1.06). During bacteremia, IL-8 also correlated well with patient use of a ventilator (P < 0.01, OR = 2.43, CI = 2.41-311.19), use of vasopressors (P < 0.05, OR = 2.67, CI = 1.79-370.78), length of stay in the hospital (P < 0.01, OR = 3.14, CI = 1.87-988.31), and stay in the ICU (P < 0.01, OR = 2.51, CI = 2.98-449.80). Measuring IL-8 on patients in the ED with apparent bacterial infections appears to be a reliable predictor of bacteremia and the severity of disease.     

两种基础疾病评分预测肺炎患者预后的比较

目的 比较慢性健康状态评分(chronic health score,CHS)和查尔森合并症指数(Charlson's weighted index of comorbidities,WIC)对ICU肺部感染患者住院死亡风险的影响.方法 回顾性分析多中心2013年9月至2014年9月肺炎患者的临床资料;记录性别、年龄、既往基础疾病、是否严重脓毒症;计算入院时WIC、入院后24h急性生理与慢性健康状况(APACHE)评分Ⅱ,包括CHS、急性生理状况评分(acute physiology score,APS)和脓毒症相关性器官功能衰竭评分(sepsis related organ failure assessment,SOFA).结果 在293名入组患者中,男性195例(66.6％),女性98例(33.4％),存活197例(67.2％),死亡96例(32.8％).年龄(62.5±17.0)岁.与存活组比较,死亡组的WIC评分较高.而两组的CHS评分比较无统计学意义.随着WIC和CHS分值的增高,患者的病死率呈增高趋势.单因素Logistic回归分析显示年龄、APACHEⅡ、SOFA、APS、CHS、WIC、是否严重脓毒症、基础疾病中Ⅱ型糖尿病、卒中、充血性心力衰竭与患者的预后相关.CHS(方程1)和WIC评分(方程2)分别联合入院急性生理状况评分及年龄等因素建立方程行多因素Logistic回归分析提示年龄、APS、CHS、WIC、是否严重脓毒症与患者的28 d预后独立相关.CHS评分的受试者工作曲线下面积(AUC)为0.557,95％ CI:(0.49～0.623)低于(P =0.021 7,Z=2.296) WIC评分的AUC =0.649 95％CI:(0.586 ～0.712),联合多变量建立方程后的AUC明显优于APACHEⅡ评分(P ＜0.001).结论 WIC评分是预测ICU肺炎患者住院病死率的独立风险因素;WIC评分较CHS评分可以更好的评价基础疾病对患者病死率的影响.     

Validation of MEDS score in predicting short-term mortality of adults with community-onset bacteremia

BackgroundThe Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score can be used to stratify ED patients with suspected infections according to mortality risk. However, it has yet to be externally validated for patients having bloodstream infections.MethodsWe retrospectively computed clinical information for the MEDS score, Pitt bacteremia score (PBS), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and McCabe–Jackson comorbid classification (MJCC) for adults with community-onset bacteremia. The MEDS score was validated by the comparisons with the following scoring systems: the PBS, CCI, MJCC, PBS plus MJCC, and PBS plus CCI. We evaluated goodness-of-fit statistics and c-statistics as measures of model calibration and discrimination, respectively.ResultsOf 2328 adults, a good calibration for 28-day crude mortality was obtained only in the MEDS score and PBS plus MJCC; a higher c-statistic (0.870, P < 0.001) were achieved by the MEDS score, compared to the PBS, CCI MJCC, PBS plus MJCC, and PBS plus CCI. A high c-statistic was observed in two combinative scoring system: the PBS plus CCI (0.855, P < 0.001) and PBS plus MJCC (0.843, P < 0.001). According to the Kaplan–Meier curves, 28-day crude mortality significantly differed between patients with scores equal to or higher than selected cutoff values and those with scores lower than selected cutoff values: 10 in the MEDS score and 5 in the PBS plus MJCC, respectively.ConclusionThe MEDS score is an excellent predictor of short-term outcomes in patients with community-onset bacteremia because it provides estimates with higher calibration and discrimination than those of the other scoring systems.     

New disseminated intravascular coagulation score: A useful tool to predict mortality in comparison with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Logistic Organ Dysfunction scores

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of a coagulation score-the new scoring system for diagnosing disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)-with the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Logistic Organ Dysfunction score in mortality prediction. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective study. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit of the University of Munich. PATIENTS: A total of 797 patients admitted to the intensive care unit between January 1, 1996, and January 1, 2001. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all patients was done if the coagulation variables d-dimer, platelet count, fibrinogen, and prothrombin index were available within the first 12 hrs after admission. Patients with missing values, fibrinolytic therapy, or unknown survival status were excluded from analysis. As a marker of fibrin generation, d-dimer was measured and integrated into the scoring system for DIC together with prothrombin time, fibrinogen, and platelet count. A coagulation score was calculated in analogy with the scoring system for DIC in patients not typically developing DIC. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Overall, the mean result of the scoring system for DIC was 2.2 points. An increasing scoring system for DIC was associated with increasing mortality in patients with serious infections. Use of the scoring system for DIC in addition to the APACHE II score helps to predict mortality better than the APACHE II score alone, especially in patients with infections. The Cox regression analysis showed that the DIC and APACHE II scores correlated independently with survival time with a greater effect of the DIC score than the APACHE II or the Logistic Organ Dysfunction score. Similar results were obtained using the coagulation score in patients with cardiocirculatory diseases. CONCLUSION: Our retrospective data suggest that a combination of the APACHE II score and the scoring system for DIC predicts mortality in critically ill patients with available variables better than the APACHE II score alone. This effect is most pronounced among patients with active infection. These results of our retrospective analysis have to be confirmed in a prospective study.     

Prognostic utility and characterization of cell-free DNA in patients with severe sepsis

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Although sepsis is the leading cause of death in non-coronary critically ill patients, identification of patients at high risk of death remains a challenge. In this study, we examined the incremental usefulness of adding multiple biomarkers to clinical scoring systems for predicting ICU mortality in patients with severe sepsis. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study using stored plasma samples obtained from 80 severe sepsis patients recruited at three tertiary hospital intensive care units (ICU) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Clinical data and plasma samples were obtained at study inclusion for all 80 patients, and then daily for 1 week and weekly thereafter for a subset of 50 patients. Plasma levels of cell-free DNA (cfDNA), IL-6, thrombin, and protein C, were measured and compared with clinical characteristics, including the primary outcome of ICU mortality and morbidity measured by Multiple Organ Dysfunction (MODS) score and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores. RESULTS: The level of cfDNA in plasma at study inclusion had better prognostic utility than MODS or APACHE II scores, or the biomarkers measured. The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves for cfDNA to predict ICU mortality is 0.97 (95% CI, 0.93-1.00) and to predict hospital mortality is 0.84 (95%CI, 0.75-0.94). We found that a cfDNA cutoff value of 2.35 ng/muL had a sensitivity of 87.9% and specificity of 93.5% for predicting ICU mortality. Sequential measurements of cfDNA suggest that ICU mortality may be predicted within 24 hours of study inclusion, and that the predictive power of cfDNA may be enhanced by combining it with protein C levels or MODS scores. DNA sequence analyses and studies with toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) reporter cells suggests that the cfDNA from septic patients is host-derived. CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest that cfDNA provides high prognostic accuracy in patients with severe sepsis. The serial data suggests that the combination of cfDNA with protein C and MODS scores may yield even stronger predictive power. Incorporation of cfDNA in sepsis risk stratification systems may be valuable for clinical decision making or for inclusion into sepsis trials.     

The epidemiology of intensive care unit-acquired hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia in medical-surgical intensive care units

Introduction

Although sodium disturbances are common in hospitalised patients, few studies have specifically investigated the epidemiology of sodium disturbances in the intensive care unit (ICU). The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of ICU-acquired hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia and assess their effects on outcome in the ICU.

Methods

We identified 8142 consecutive adults (18 years of age or older) admitted to three medical-surgical ICUs between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2006 who were documented to have normal serum sodium levels (133 to 145 mmol/L) during the first day of ICU admission. ICU acquired hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia were respectively defined as a change in serum sodium concentration to below 133 mmol/L or above 145 mmol/L following day one in the ICU.

Results

A first episode of ICU-acquired hyponatraemia developed in 917 (11%) patients and hypernatraemia in 2157 (26%) patients with an incidence density of 3.1 and 7.4 per 100 days of ICU admission, respectively, during 29,142 ICU admission days. The incidence of both ICU-acquired hyponatraemia (age, admission diagnosis, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, length of ICU stay, level of consciousness, serum glucose level, body temperature, serum potassium level) and ICU-acquired hypernatraemia (baseline creatinine, APACHE II score, mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, body temperature, serum potassium level, level of care) varied according to patients' characteristics. Compared with patients with normal serum sodium levels, hospital mortality was increased in patients with ICU-acquired hyponatraemia (16% versus 28%, p < 0.001) and ICU-acquired hypernatraemia (16% versus 34%, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

ICU-acquired hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia are common in critically ill patients and are associated with increased risk of hospital mortality.     

Adjustment of intensive care unit outcomes for severity of illness and comorbidity scores

PURPOSE: Comparison of outcomes among intensive care units (ICUs) requires adjustment for patient variables. Severity of illness scores are associated with hospital mortality, but administrative databases rarely include the elements of these scores. However, these databases include the elements of comorbidity scores. The purpose of this study was to compare the value of these scores as adjustment variables in statistical models of hospital mortality and hospital and ICU length of stay after adjustment for other covariates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used multivariable regression to study 1808 patients admitted to a 13-bed medical-surgical ICU in a 400-bed tertiary hospital between December 1998 and August 2003. RESULTS: For all patients, after adjusting for age, sex, major clinical category, source of admission, and socioeconomic determinants of health, we found that Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and comorbidity scores were significantly associated with hospital mortality and that comorbidity but not APACHE II was significantly associated with hospital length of stay. Separate analysis of hospital survivors and nonsurvivors showed that both APACHE II and comorbidity scores were significantly associated with hospital length of stay and APACHE II score was associated with ICU length of stay. CONCLUSION: The value of APACHE II and comorbidity scores as adjustment variables depends on the outcome and population of interest.     

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.     

Comparison of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) scoring systems in a single Greek intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II scoring systems in a single intensive care unit (ICU), independent from the ICUs of the developmental sample; and to compare the performance of APACHE II and SAPS II by means of statistical analyses in such a clinical setting. DESIGN: Prospective, cohort study. SETTING: A single ICU in a Greek university hospital. PATIENTS: In a time interval of 5 yrs, data for 681 patients admitted to our ICU were collected. The original exclusion criteria of both systems were employed. Patients <17 yrs of age were dropped from the study to keep compatibility with both systems. Eventually, a total of 661 patients were included in the analysis. INTERVENTIONS: Demographics, clinical parameters essential for the calculation of APACHE II and SAPS II scores, and risk of hospital death were recorded. Patient vital status was followed up to hospital discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Both systems showed poor calibration and underestimated mortality but had good discriminative power, with SAPS II performing better than APACHE II. The evaluation of uniformity of fit in various subgroups for both systems confirmed the pattern of underprediction of mortality from both models and the better performance of APACHE II over our data sample. CONCLUSIONS: APACHE II and SAPS II failed to predict mortality in a population sample other than the one used for their development. APACHE II performed better than SAPS II. Validation in such a population is essential. Because there is a great variation in clinical and other patient characteristics among ICUs, it is doubtful that one system can be validated in all types of populations to be used for comparisons among different ICUs.     

Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) scoring in a cardiothoracic intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive value of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring system in cardiothoracic surgical patients. DESIGN: Prospective survey with follow-up to hospital discharge. SETTING: A cardiothoracic surgical ICU in a tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Eight hundred sixty-nine consecutive patients admitted to the ICU were entered into this study. Data on 12 patients were incomplete. Forty-three patients had nonsurgical diagnoses. Three patients had noncardiothoracic operations. These exclusions left 811 patients for analysis, and all results pertain to these 811 cardiothoracic surgical patients. INTERVENTIONS: Demographic and physiologic data relevant to the APACHE II score were collected on all patients and entered into a microcomputer database for analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The following procedures were performed: 65% of patients had coronary artery bypass grafts; 23% had heart valve surgery; 5% had thoracic surgical procedures; and the remainder had a variety of cardiothoracic operations. The mean duration of ICU care was 2.3 days and the mean age was 57 yrs. The mean APACHE II score was 9.5 and the overall predicted risk of dying was 4.59%, with an actual ICU mortality rate of 4.56%. The relationship between the APACHE II score and mortality rate was linear and significant (p less than .001). Patients with an APACHE II score of less than 10 had a mortality rate of 0.93%. Only a score of greater than 30 was uniformly associated with death, and then only in one patient. A chronic disease history, emergency surgery, and a longer ICU stay were significant markers for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: There was a good relationship between the APACHE II score and mortality rate. Low APACHE II scores accurately predicted survival but only very high scores accurately predicted death.     

Outcomes for haematological cancer patients admitted to an intensive care unit in a university hospital

Background

Haematological cancer (HC) patients are increasingly requiring intensive care (ICUs). The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of HC patients in our ICU and evaluate 5 days-full support as a breakpoint for patients’ re-assessment for support.

Comparison of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scoring system, and Trauma and Injury Severity Score method for predicting the outcomes of intensive care unit trauma patients

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scoring system, and Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) method to predict group mortality for intensive care unit (ICU) trauma patients.

Methods

The medical records of 706 consecutive major trauma patients admitted to the ICU of Samsung Changwon Hospital from May 2006 to April 2010 were retrospectively examined. The SOFA and the APACHE II scores were calculated based on data from the first 24 hours of ICU admission, and the TRISS was calculated using initial laboratory data from the emergency department and operative data. The probability of death was calculated for each patient based on the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and TRISS equations. The ability to predict group mortality for the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and TRISS method was assessed by using 2-by-2 decision matrices and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and calibration analysis.

Results

In 2-by-2 decision matrices with a decision criterion of 0.5, the sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies were 74.1%, 97.1%, and 92.4%, respectively, for the SOFA score; 58.5%, 99.6%, and 91.1%, respectively, for the APACHE II scoring system; and 52.4%, 94.8%, and 86.0%, respectively, for the TRISS method. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the areas under the curve for the SOFA score, APACHE II scoring system, and TRISS method were 0.953, 0.950, and 0.922, respectively.

Conclusion

The results from the present study showed that the SOFA score was not different from APACHE II scoring system and TRISS in predicting the outcomes for ICU trauma patients. However, the method for calculating SOFA scores is easier and simpler than APACHE II and TRISS.     

Comparison of disease severity scoring systems in septic shock

OBJECTIVE: To compare six disease severity scoring systems as predictors of mortality in septic shock when used in the first 24 hrs of diagnosis. The six scoring systems tested were: Multiorgan Failure; the Acute Organ System Failure; the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II); the Multisystem Organ Failure scoring system; the Mortality Prediction Model; and the grading of sepsis. DESIGN: Retrospective, case series, consecutive sample. SETTING: Adult ICUs of three teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: Seventy-one patients from 12 to 84 yrs, fulfilling specific criteria for the diagnosis of septic shock, who were admitted to the ICU during 15 consecutive months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The Multiorgan Failure scoring system, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II), and Acute Organ System Failure scoring system were found, with our modifications, to be statistically significant predictors of mortality. Predictive data for these three scoring systems were as follows: Multiorgan Failure scoring system p = .008, mean number of points of survivors 5.2 +/- 1.5 (SD), mean number of points of nonsurvivors 6.3 +/- 1.5; APACHE II p = .013, mean number of points of survivors 21.1 +/- 5.9, mean number of points of nonsurvivors 24.6 +/- 6.0; and Acute Organ System Failure scoring system p = .011. None of the other three scoring systems showed significant predictive ability: Multisystem Organ Failure scoring system p = .072, Mortality Prediction Model p = 0.091, and the grading of sepsis p = .27. There was a significant (p = .004) difference in the survival rate of the three hospitals. CONCLUSION: The Multiorgan Failure scoring system, APACHE II, and the Acute Organ System Failure scoring system, with minor modifications, were found to be useful prognostic tools for patients with septic shock and allowed us to compare the performance and treatment programs of different ICUs.     

Impact of different measures of comorbid disease on predicted mortality of intensive care unit patients

BACKGROUND: Valid comparison of patient survival across ICUs requires adjustment for burden of chronic illness. The optimal measure of comorbidity in this setting remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of different measures of comorbid disease on predicted mortality for ICU patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Seventeen thousand eight hundred ninety-three veterans from 17 geographically diverse VA Medical Centers and 43 ICUs were studied, admitted between February 1, 1996 and July 31, 1997. MEASURES: ICD-9-CM codes reflecting comorbid disease from hospital stays before and including the index hospitalization from local VA computer databases were extracted, and three measures of comorbid disease were then compared: (1) an APACHE-weighted comorbidity score using comorbid diseases used in APACHE, (2) a count of conditions described by Elixhauser, and (3) Elixhauser comorbid diseases weighted independently. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the contribution of each measure to in-hospital mortality predictions. RESULTS: Models using independently weighted Elixhauser comorbidities discriminated better than models using an APACHE-weighted score or a count of Elixhauser comorbidities. Twenty-three and 14 of the Elixhauser conditions were significant univariate and multivariable predictors of in-hospital mortality, respectively. In a multivariable model including all available predictors, comorbidity accounted for less (8.4%) of the model's uniquely attributable chi statistic than laboratory values (67.7%) and diagnosis (17.7%), but more than age (4.0%) and admission source (2.1%). Excluding codes from prior hospitalizations did not adversely affect model performance. CONCLUSIONS: Independently weighted comorbid conditions identified through computerized discharge abstracts can contribute significantly to ICU risk adjustment models.     

Association of methicillin resistance with mortality of hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

ObjectiveMethicillin-resistant (MR) Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is associated with higher mortality rates than methicillin-susceptible (MS) SAB. This study assessed potential predictors of mortality and evaluated the association of methicillin resistance with mortality in patients with SAB.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study in patients with hospital-acquired SAB, from 2009 to 2018. Clinical features of patients with MR-SAB were compared with those of patients with MS-SAB and predictors of 30-day mortality were determined using Cox regression analysis.ResultsAmong 162 patients, 56.8% had MR-SAB. Overall 30-day mortality was 19.1%; MR-SAB had higher mortality (25.0%) than MS-SAB (11.4%). Univariate analysis highlighted long-term hospitalization, prior antibiotics use, and delayed initiation of appropriate antibiotics as risk factors. Cox regression analysis showed that respiratory tract source, Pitt bacteremia score, Charlson comorbidity index, and appropriate antibiotic therapy within 24 hours were independently and significantly associated with 30-day mortality outcome.ConclusionsMethicillin resistance was not an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with SAB. Early, appropriate antibiotic treatment is an important prognostic factor.     

Relationship of pulmonary artery catheter use to mortality and resource utilization in patients with severe sepsis

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) use to patient outcomes, including mortality rate and resource utilization, in patients with severe sepsis in eight academic medical centers. DESIGN: Case-control, nested within a prospective cohort study. SETTING: Eight academic tertiary care centers. PATIENTS: Stratified random sample of 1,010 adult admissions with severe sepsis. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The main outcome measures were in-hospital mortality, total hospital charge, and length of stay (LOS) for patients with and without PAC use. The case-matched subset of patients included 141 pairs managed with and without the use of a PAC. The mortality rate was slightly but not statistically significantly lower among the PAC use group compared with those not using a PAC (41.1% vs. 46.8%, p =.34). Even this trend disappeared after we adjusted for the Charlson comorbidity score and sepsis-specific Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.72). In linear regression models adjusted for the Charlson comorbidity score, sepsis-specific APACHE III, surgical status, receipt of a steroid before sepsis onset, presence of a Hickman catheter, and preonset LOS, no significant differences were found for total hospital charges (139,207 US dollars vs. 148,190, adjusted mean comparing PAC and non-PAC group, p =.57), postonset LOS (23.4 vs. 26.9 days, adjusted mean, p =.32), or total LOS in intensive care unit (18.2 vs. 18.8 days, adjusted mean, p =.82). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with severe sepsis, PAC placement was not associated with a change in mortality rate or resource utilization, although small nonsignificant trends toward lower resource utilization were present in the PAC group.     

急诊脓毒症病死率评分在急诊脓毒症患者中的应用

目的 验证急诊脓毒症病死率评分(mortality in emergency department sepsis score,MEDS)对于急诊脓毒症患者病情评估的应用价值,并将其对患者28 d病死率的预测效果进行比较。方法 对2009年9月至2010年9月首都医科大学附属北京朝阳医院急诊抢救室救治的613例脓毒症患者进行前瞻性研究。记录患者的证急诊脓毒症病死率评分(MEDS)、急性生理学与慢性健康情况评价系统Ⅱ（acute physiology and chronic health evaluation,APACHEⅡ）、简化急性生理学评分Ⅱ（simplified acute physiology score,SAPSⅡ）和改良早期预警评分(modified early warning score,MEWS)。随访28 d转归。根据患者MEDS评分分值将死亡风险分级：极低危险组(0 ～4分)、低度危险组（5～7分）、中度危险组（8～12分）、高度危险组（13 ～ 15分）、极高危险组（大于15分）,各组间实际病死率采用X2检验比较。再对生存组和死亡组进行比较,通过logistic 回归分析确定预测死亡的独立因素,应用受试者工作特征曲线（ROC曲线）比较MEDS与APACHEⅡ,SAPSⅡ和MEWS评分对预后的预测能力。结果 失访10例,完整记录603例。MEDS评分患者各组实际病死率分别为0％,7.7％,18.5％,46.7％,63％,各组间实际病死率有显著区别。生存组（440例）与死亡组（163例）之间年龄和四种评分差异均具有统计学意义(P＜0.01)。MEDS,APACHEⅡ,SAPSⅡ、MEWS评分均是预测死亡的独立因素,ROC曲线下的面积(AUC)分别为0.767,0.743,0.741和0.636。结论 MEDS评分可以对脓毒症患者死亡风险进行分级,在患者28 d病死率方面有较好的预测能力,适用于急诊脓毒症患者。     

Impaired glucose and lipid metabolism seen in intensive care patients is related to severity of illness and survival.

OBJECTIVE: To relate glucose and lipid metabolism to the severity of illness and survival in critically ill patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study. SETTING: Secondary referral ICU. PATIENTS: Forty-four consecutive patients admitted to the ICU. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: An intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and serum lipoprotein determinations were performed within the first 24 hours in the ICU. An APACHE II score was also determined. Basal serum lactate, glucose and insulin were all elevated in ICU patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001) and were all correlated to indices of severity of illness (r = 0.36-0.42, p < 0.05-0.01 vs the APACHE II score). However, the early insulin response to IVGTT was inversely correlated to the APACHE II score (r = -0.50, p < 0.01). Triglyceride and cholesterol levels in serum were generally decreased when compared to controls (0.88 +/- 0.63 mmol/l for serum triglycerides and 2.46 +/- 0.97 mmol/l for serum cholesterol, p < 0.01 vs controls). However, as could be judged from the levels of free serum glycerol (0.27 +/- 0.23 mmol/l), lipolysis was increased in the critically ill. Serum triglyceride levels, as well as serum FFA and glycerol, correlated to the severity of illness (r = 0.36-0.62, p < 0.05-0.001), HDL-cholesterol was inversely related to the APACHE II score (r = -0.40, p < 0.05). Serum glucose, FFA, glycerol and triglycerides in serum, VLDL and LDL were all elevated (p < 0.05-0.001), while HDL-cholesterol was decreased (p < 0.05) in septic patients (n = 17) compared to those without sepsis. Serum lactate (p < 0.05) and free glycerol (p < 0.01) were both elevated in patients who did not survive (n = 6) when compared to survivors. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed free glycerol (p < 0.05) to be additive to the APACHE II score (p < 0.01) in predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: In a sample of unselected critically ill patients indices of both glucose and lipid metabolism were found to be related to the severity of illness as well as to the occurrence of sepsis and survival.     

Association between sepsis at ICU admission and mortality in patients with ICU-acquired pneumonia: An infectious second-hit model

PurposeWe explore the hypothesis that critically ill patients developing ICU-acquired pneumonia (ICU-AP) have worse outcomes and an altered inflammatory response if their ICU admission was sepsis-related.MethodsProspective cohort study in two centers. Patients with ICU-AP were evaluated according to their previous exposure to sepsis at ICU-admission. Demographic variables, comorbidities, severity scores at admission and at the time of acquisition of ICU-AP, and serum biomarkers of the inflammatory response were evaluated. Primary outcome: 90-day mortality. Secondary outcomes: ICU and hospital length of stay, mortality at days 28 and 180, in-hospital mortality, ventilator-free days (day-28), and inflammatory response. Propensity scoring weighted the risk of previously-acquired sepsis. Multivariate analysis evaluated the risk of mortality by day-90. Sensitivity analyses evaluated the primary outcome in different subgroups.ResultsOf 341 patients enrolled, 147 had sepsis on ICU-admission. Adjusted risk of mortality at 90 days did not differ overall [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.94(CI:0.65–1.37)], nor in subpopulations with a confirmed etiology of pneumonia [HR = 0.93(CI:0.57–1.53)] or sepsis [HR = 0.91(0.54–1.55)], ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) [HR = 1.01(CI:0.61–1.68)], nor non-VAP ICU-AP [HR = 0.83(CI:0.40–1.71)]. No differences were found in clinical secondary outcomes, the inflammatory response was similar.ConclusionsPrevious sepsis does not appear to predispose to higher mortality nor worse outcomes in patients who develop ICU-acquired pneumonia.     

A systematic review of the Charlson comorbidity index using Canadian administrative databases: a perspective on risk adjustment in critical care research

The Charlson index is commonly used for risk adjustment in critical care health services research. However, the literature supporting this methodology has not been thoroughly explored. We systematically reviewed the literature related to administrative database adaptations of the Charlson index. Our review has 3 major findings. First, 2 studies compared Canadian administrative databases with chart review for obtaining Charlson comorbidity data. Agreement between the database and chart review was substantial (kappa > 0.70), and mortality prediction did not differ. Second, 5 database adaptations were identified with the Deyo and Dartmouth-Manitoba adaptations being most popular. Three studies directly compared these 2 popular adaptations and demonstrated substantial agreement (kappa > 0.70) and similar predictive ability for mortality. Third, one study validated the Charlson index for critically ill patients but demonstrated that APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) II better discriminates inhospital mortality (area under curve 0.67 vs 0.87). Time and cost barriers prevent widespread use of physiology-based risk adjustment in population-based research. The decreased predictive ability of the Charlson index must be weighed against the advantages of using this instrument for population-based research. Future research should focus on updating the Charlson index for recent changes in the prognosis of comorbid diseases and introduction of International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision coding of discharge abstracts.