严重脓毒症/脓毒症休克患者预后的高危因素

目的分析严重脓毒症/脓毒症休克患者的临床资料、致病菌分布及生化指标情况,探讨影响危重脓毒症患者预后的高危因素。 方法选择我院2004年12月至2014年12月收治的1 013例严重脓毒症/脓毒症休克患者作为研究对象,记录患者一般资料、生理学和慢性健康状况评分Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)、感染部位及致病菌、生化指标等,根据预后情况分为存活组562例和死亡组451例,采用logistic回归分析影响患者预后的独立危险因素。 结果死亡组患者与存活组相比,年龄(59.62±11.21 vs. 46.32±9.46)岁、APACHE Ⅱ评分(25.26±8.75 vs. 13.67±6.57)、脓毒症休克所占比率(54.99% vs. 27.22%)均明显增加(P<0.05),存活组患者的血清白蛋白与血小板计数水平明显高于死亡组患者(P<0.05),降钙素原与血乳酸水平明显低于死亡组患者,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。2组患者呼吸系统感染比例(35.05% vs. 36.59%)与G^-菌感染比例(46.44% vs. 63.64%)最高,患者年龄、APACHEⅡ评分、血乳酸、降钙素原与危重脓毒症患者的预后呈负相关关系(r＝-0.359、-0.876、-0.582、-0.821,P<0.05),血清白蛋白与危重脓毒症患者的预后呈正相关关系(r＝0.637,P<0.05)。年龄+APACHEⅡ+血乳酸+血降钙素原+血清白蛋白联合检测对严重脓毒症/脓毒症休克患者死亡具有更高的预测价值(AUC＝0.981)。 结论年龄、APACHEⅡ评分、血乳酸、降钙素原及血清白蛋白是影响严重脓毒症/脓毒症休克患者预后的独立危险因素,对早期预测和有效改善严重脓毒症/脓毒症休克患者预后具有具有重要的临床。     

Cortisol levels and mortality in severe sepsis

OBJECTIVE: Serum cortisol levels rise in response to the stress of critical illness but the optimal range of serum cortisol in such settings is not clearly defined. The objectives of this study were to determine the range of serum cortisol levels in a group of medical intensive care unit patients with severe sepsis/septic shock using uniform criteria, and to correlate serum cortisol levels to mortality. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: In a prospective observational fashion, 100 medical intensive care unit patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago were enrolled within 48 h of developing severe sepsis/septic shock as defined by the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine. MEASUREMENTS: A serum cortisol level was measured during the morning hours in the first 48 h of developing severe sepsis/septic shock. The severity of critical illness was measured by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score. RESULTS: The average patient age was 63 +/- 17 years, 54 patients were men. The average APACHE II score for all patients was 23 +/- 7. In-hospital and 90-day mortality were 51% and 60%, respectively. Four patient groups were defined a priori based on morning serum cortisol levels and their in-hospital mortalities were as follows: group 1 (cortisol < or = 345 nmol/l), n = 11, mortality 54%; group 2 (cortisol 345-552 nmol/l), n = 19, mortality 53%; group 3 (cortisol 552-1242 nmol/l), n = 54, mortality 41%; and group 4 (cortisol > or = 1242 nmol/l), n = 16, mortality 81% (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol levels were elevated in most patients with septic shock. Cortisol levels less than 552 nmol/l occurred in 30% of patients with septic shock but the mortality in these patients was not significantly increased. Serum cortisol levels > or = 1242 nmol/l were associated with significantly higher mortality.     

Prognostic value of cardiac troponin I elevation after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic renal insufficiency: a 12-month outcome analysis.

Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a highly specific marker for myocardial damage in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI), unlike creatine kinase myocardial band fraction (CK-MB), which may be elevated in the absence of myocardial injury in patients with CRI. We studied 116 consecutive CRI patients (serum creatinine +/- 1.8 mg/dL, not on dialysis) with normal baseline cTnI levels who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients were divided into two groups: group 1, elevated postprocedural cTnI (n = 50), and group 2, normal cTnI (n = 66). Patients with elevated cTnI were older and had a higher incidence of postinfarction angina and lower creatinine clearance compared to patients who did not have cTnI elevation. Atheroablative devices (rotational and directional atherectomy and excimer laser coronary angioplasty) were more frequently used in group 1 patients (27.1% vs. 18.5%; P = 0.04). In-hospital mortality, cardiac mortality, and Q-wave myocardial infarction rates did not differ between the two groups. At 12-month follow-up, total mortality rates were significantly higher in group 1 (28.0% vs. 9.9%; P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that cTnI was an independent predictor of late mortality (OR = 2.26; CI = 1.07-4.77; P = 0.03). Thus, in patients with CRI, elevated cTnI levels after successful PCI is an important predictor of poor long-term outcome. Our data suggest that patients with cTnI elevation > 3 times above normal values are particularly at higher risk.     

Prognostic value of serum cardiac troponin I in ambulatory patients with chronic renal failure undergoing long-term hemodialysis: a two-year outcome analysis

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the prognostic value of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in asymptomatic, ambulatory patients with chronic renal failure treated with long-term hemodialysis. BACKGROUND: Smaller, short-term follow-up studies on this subject have given conflicting results. METHODS: A total of 126 ambulatory patients with chronic renal failure treated with long-term hemodialysis were followed for two years for all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, all-cause hospital admissions and cardiac hospital admissions. Serum cTnI was measured before dialysis at the time of study entry. RESULTS: One hundred two patients had normal serum levels of cTnI (< or =0.03 ng/ml) and 24 patients had elevated levels (0.015 +/- 0.007 vs. 0.053 +/- 0.029 ng/ml, p < 0.0001). No significant difference in all-cause mortality (20 vs. 4 deaths), cardiac mortality (4 vs. 1 death), all-cause hospital admissions (1.74 +/- 1.72 vs. 1.25 +/- 1.19 admissions/patient) or cardiac admissions (0.52 +/- 0.89 vs. 0.33 +/- 0.76 admissions/patient) was present between the patients with normal cTnI levels and those with elevated cTnI levels. Serum cTnI was not significantly different between patients who died versus those who survived (0.022 +/- 0.019 vs. 0.022 +/- 0.021 ng/ml). Serum cTnI was not an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, all-cause admissions or cardiac admissions. Age (older) and serum albumin (lower) were independent predictors of all-cause mortality, whereas a history of myocardial infarction was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality. Serum sodium (lower) was an independent predictor of all-cause hospital admissions, whereas hypertension and previous myocardial infarction were independent predictors of cardiac admissions. The best predictors of the time to death were age (older) and serum sodium level (lower), irrespective of the serum cTnI levels. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac troponin I has a limited role in predicting mortality and hospital admissions in asymptomatic patients with chronic renal failure treated with long-term hemodialysis.     

Performance evaluation of MR-proadrenomedullin and other scoring systems in severe sepsis with pneumonia

Background

In sepsis, risk assessment is as crucial as early and accurate diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) with other scoring systems in severe sepsis and septic shock patients due to community acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods

Patients were divided into 2 groups as severe sepsis and septic shock due to CAP (group 1, n=31) and only CAP group (group 2, n=26). Serum MR-proADM, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and d-dimer level were analyzed. Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) were performed for all patients.

Results

There was no difference between groups in terms of serum MR-proADM levels (P=0.780). Serum MR-proADM was not found a significant value for the prediction of death within the 4 and 8 weeks in all patients. SOFA score was the most significant to predict mortality in 4 and 8 weeks (P<0.001). The combination of SOFA score and serum MR-proADM was a strong factor to predict death in 4 weeks (specifity 86.8% and sensitivity 66.7%). The combination of MR-proADM, SOFA score, and APACHE II score was found 75.0% sensitive and 71.4% specific to predict mortality within 4 weeks in group 1.

Conclusions

The MR-proADM does not correlate with mortality or disease severity to predict mortality. The combination of SOFA, APACHE II scores, and MR-proADM was efficient to predict prognosis and mortality rate in severe sepsis or septic shock patients.     

Negative fluid balance predicts survival in patients with septic shock: a retrospective pilot study

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that patients with septic shock who achieve negative fluid balance (< or =-500 mL) on any day in the first 3 days of management are more likely to survive than those who do not. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. PATIENTS: Thirty-six patients admitted with the diagnosis of septic shock. SETTING: Twelve-bed medical ICU of a 300-bed community teaching hospital. METHODS: Medical records of 36 patients admitted to our medical ICU over a 21-month period were examined. Patients with septic shock who required dialysis prior to hospitalization were not included. A number of demographic and physiologic variables were extracted from the medical records. Admission APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II and daily sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were computed from the extracted data. Variables were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors and in patients who did vs those who did not achieve negative (< or = 500 mL) fluid balance in > or = 1 day of the first 3 days of management. Survival risk ratios (RRs) were used as the measure of association between negative fluid balance and survival. RRs were adjusted for age, APACHE II scores, SOFA scores on the first and third days, and the need for mechanical ventilation, by stratified analyses. RESULTS: Patients ranged in age from 16 to 85 years with a mean (+/- SE) age of 67.4 +/- 3.3 years. The mean admission APACHE II score was 25.4 +/- 1.4, and the day 1 SOFA score was 9.0 +/- 0.8. Twenty patients did not survive; nonsurvivors had higher mean APACHE II scores than survivors (29.8 vs 20.4, respectively) and higher first day SOFA scores than survivors (10.8 vs 6.9, respectively), and they were more likely to require vasopressors and mechanical ventilation compared to patients who survived. Whereas all 11 patients who achieved a negative balance of > 500 mL on > or = 1 of the first 3 days of treatment survived, only 5 of 25 patient who failed to achieve a negative fluid balance of > 500 mL by the third day of treatment survived (RR, 5.0; 95% CI, 2.3 to 10.9; p = 0.00001). At least 1 day of net negative fluid balance in the first 3 days of treatment strongly predicted survival across the strata of age, APACHE II scores, first- and third-day SOFA scores, the need for mechanical ventilation, and creatinine levels measured at admission. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that at least 1 day of negative fluid balance (< or = -500 mL) achieved by the third day of treatment may be a good independent predictor of survival in patients with septic shock. These findings suggest the hypothesis "that negative fluid balance achieved in any of the first 3 days of septic shock portends a good prognosis," for a larger prospective cohort study.     

Newly developed immobilized polymyxin B fibers improve the survival of patients with sepsis

BACKGROUND: Sepsis and septic shock are still major causes of morbidity and mortality in spite of the availability of powerful and broadly active antibiotics. METHODS: A prospective, open and randomized trial of the effect of immobilized polymyxin fibers (PMX-F) on the survival of patients with sepsis throughout a follow-up period of 28 days or until discharge, if earlier, was carried out. Ninety-eight patients were included who met at least 4 of the criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome due to infection. The patients were classified into three groups based on their Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. RESULTS: The overall survival rate was significantly improved by using PMX-F compared to the control group (41 vs. 11%) (p = 0.002). In patients with an APACHE II score less than 20, treatment with PMX-F was shown to improve outcome (65 vs. 19%) (p = 0.01). In cases of more severe sepsis with an APACHE II score of 20-29, PMX-F still maintained efficacy in improving outcome (40 vs. 11%) (p = 0.04). However, PMX-F treatment did not improve the survival rate in patients with an APACHE II score of greater than 30 (survival rate 7 vs. 0%) (p = 0.59). CONCLUSION: From these results, it is concluded that treatment with PMX-F in patients with sepsis is effective and prolongs the survival rate when applied at an early stage of sepsis. However, in severe sepsis, this therapy does not improve the survival rate.     

Septic shock of early or late onset: does it matter?

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine possible differences in morbidity and mortality between early and late onset of septic shock in ICU patients. DESIGN: Systematic data collection. SETTING: Thirty-one-bed, mixed, medicosurgical ICU in a university hospital. PATIENTS: All 65 patients who acquired septic shock after admission to the ICU between February 1999 and April 2000. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Forty-one of the 65 patients presented with septic shock within 24 h of admission to the ICU (early septic shock [ESS]); the other 21 patients acquired septic shock > 24 h after ICU admission (late septic shock [LSS]). Eleven patients had a second episode (7 patients in the ESS group, and 4 patients in the LSS group), and 1 patient in the LSS group had a third episode of septic shock. Patients with ESS had higher APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II (mean +/- SD, 26 +/- 6 vs 20 +/- 6; p = 0.002) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores (11 +/- 3 vs 7 +/- 3, p < 0.001) on ICU admission, and a higher blood lactate concentration at the onset of shock (median 3.70 mEq/L; interquartile range, 2.6 to 6.6 mEq/L; vs median, 2.50 mEq/L [interquartile range, 1.8 to 4.0 mEq/L], p = 0.03) than patients with LSS. However, the duration of septic shock (median, 42 h [interquartile range, 21 to 97 h] vs median, 93 h [interquartile range, 32 to 241 h], p = 0.058) and the length of ICU stay after the onset of septic shock (median, 75 h; [interquartile range, 38 to 203 h] vs median, 321 h [interquartile range, 96 to 438 h], p = 0.018), was shorter in patients with ESS than patients with LSS. The ICU mortality rate was 63% (26 patients) in the ESS group, and 88% (21 patients) in the LSS group (p = 0.071). At the onset of the first episode of shock, patients with ESS had higher SOFA scores (11 +/- 3 vs 9 +/- 3, p = 0.045), lower pH (7.24 +/- 0.15 vs 7.33 +/- 0.12, p = 0.01), and were treated with higher doses of dopamine (median, 20 microg/kg/min [interquartile range, 14 to 20 microg/kg/min] vs median, 12 microg/kg/min [interquartile range, 8 to 20 microg/kg/min], p = 0.028) than patients with LSS. CONCLUSIONS: Septic shock is more severe when of early onset, as reflected by more severe organ dysfunction, greater lactic acidosis, and higher vasopressor requirements, yet the outcome is better, as reflected by a shorter duration of the shock episode, shorter ICU stay, and slightly lower mortality rates. These differences may influence clinical trials of therapeutic agents for sepsis, and should be taken into account when analyzing the results.     

心肌肌钙蛋白I在不稳定型心绞痛患者中的应用价值

目的：探讨心肌肌钙蛋白I（cTnl)检测在不稳定型绞痛患中的临床应用价值。方法：对80例不稳定型心绞痛（UAP）患进行临床Braunwald分级,固相层析免疫法测定血清cTnI,酶学法测定肌酸磷酸激酶（CK）及其同功酶（CK－MB）,并观察住院期间心脏事件发生率。结果：80例UAP患中22例（27．5％）血清cTnI检测呈弱阳性或阳性,而CK－MB仅2例（2．5％）升高（P＝0．0001）。cTnI阳性组（22例）与阴性组（58例）之间临床除Braunwald分级存在差异（77．3％比48．3％,P＝0．02）外,其他均无差异。住院期间发生心脏事件率在cTnI阳性组较阴性组明显增高（40．9％比6．9％,P＝0．007）,多元logistic回归分析发现,cTnI是预测不稳定型心绞痛患住院期间心脏事件的最主要独立危险因素。结论：心肌肌钙蛋白I是反映心肌细胞损伤较灵敏、较特异的指标,是判断不稳定型心绞痛患近期预后的最主要独立预测因素。     

心肌肌钙蛋白Ⅰ水平对非心脏手术后心肌损伤患者脱离机械通气的预测价值

目的:评估心肌肌钙蛋白I(cTnI)对非心脏术后心肌损伤患者脱离机械通气(简称脱机)的预测价值。方法:前瞻性观察2016年1月至2018年12月间我院收治的286例非心脏手术后心肌损伤(MINS)患者资料,比较脱机成功组(n=205)患者和脱机失败组(n=81)患者基本临床资料、既往病史、急性生理和慢性健康评分Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)、手术情况、术后氧合以及cTnI水平等多个指标。采用多因素回归分析MINS患者脱机失败的危险因素,采用受试者工作特征曲线(ROC)评价cTnI水平对患者脱机的预测价值。结果:脱机失败组患者的cTnI水平显著高于脱机成功患者[2.04(0.20,10.05)ng/ml vs 0.11(0.05,0.55)ng/ml,P<0.001]。对两组患者多个脱机相关指标进行多因素回归分析,结果显示,APACHEⅡ评分高(OR=1.086,95%CI:1.009~1.168;P=0.027)和cTnI水平升高(OR=1.462,95%CI:1.264~1.692;P<0.001)是MINS患者脱机失败的独立危险因素。ROC曲线分析显示,cTnI水平预测脱机失败的AUC为0.760,若cTnI水平联合APACHEⅡ评分预测,则AUC为0.763。结论:cTnI水平是MINS患者脱机失败的独立危险因素,对脱机失败有预测价值。     

Clinical usefulness and prognostic value of elevated cardiac troponin I levels in acute pulmonary embolism

Background

Right ventricular myocardial ischemia and injury contribute to right ventricular dysfunction and failure during acute pulmonary embolism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in the assessment of right ventricular involvement and short-term prognosis in acute pulmonary embolism

Methods

Thirty-eight patients with acute pulmonary embolism were included in the study. Clinical characteristics, right ventricular involvement, and clinical outcome were compared in patients with elevated levels of serum cTnI versus patients with normal levels of serum cTnI.

Results

Among the study population (n = 38 patients), 18 patients (47%) had elevated cTnI levels (mean ± SD 1.6 ± 0.7 ng/mL, range 0.7-3.7 ng/mL, median, 1.4 ng/mL), and comprised the cTnI-positive group. In the other 20 patients, the serum cTnI levels were normal (≤0.4 ng/mL), and they comprised the cTnI-negative group. In the cTnI-positive group (n = 18 patients), 12 patients (67%) had right ventricular dilatation/hypokinesia, compared with 3 patients (15%) in the cTnI-negative group (n = 20 patients, P = .004). Right ventricular systolic pressure was significantly higher in the cTnI-positive group (51 ± 8 mm Hg vs 40 ± 9 mm Hg, P = .002). Cardiogenic shock developed in a significantly higher number of patients with elevated serum cTnI levels (33% vs 5%, P = .01). In patients with elevated cTnI levels, the odds ratio for development of cardiogenic shock was 8.8 (95% CI 2.5-21).

Conclusions

Patients with acute pulmonary embolism with elevated serum cTnI levels are at a higher risk for the development of right ventricular dysfunction and cardiogenic shock. Serum cTnI has a role in risk stratification and short-term prognostication in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.     

Cardiac troponins T and I in patients with end-stage renal disease: the relation with left ventricular mass and their prognostic value

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponins are frequently elevated in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the absence of acute myocardial ischemia. The cause and prognostic value of cardiac troponin elevations in such patients are controversial. HYPOTHESIS: The aims of this study were (1) to define the incidence of cTnT and cTnI elevations in patients with ESRD, (2) to evaluate the relationship between troponin elevations and left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and (3) to evaluate the prognostic value of elevations in cTnT and cTnI prospectively. METHODS: We included 129 patients with ESRD (71 men, age 44 +/- 16 years) with no clinical evidence of coronary artery disease. All patients underwent cardiac examinations, including medical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and transthoracic echocardiography. Left ventricular mass index was calculated and all patients were followed for 2 years. RESULTS: The cTnT concentration was > 0.03-0.1 ng/ml in 27 (20.9%) and > 0.1 ng/ml in 27 (20.9%) of the 129 patients. The cTnI concentration was > 0.5 ng/ml in 31 (24%) of 129 patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified LVMI (p < 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.001), and serum albumin level (p = 0.009) as a significant independent predictor for elevated cTnT. Left ventricular mass index was the only significant independent predictor for elevated cTnI (p = 0.002). There were 25 (19.4%) deaths during follow-up. Multivariable analysis showed that elevation of cTnT and cTnI did not emerge as an independent predictor for death. Serum albumin level (p < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of mortality, followed by age (p = 0.002) and LVMI (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac troponin T and I related significantly to the LVMI. The increased serum concentration of cardiac troponins probably originates from the heart; however, they are not independent predictors for prognosis.     

Diabetes on sepsis outcomes in non-ICU patients: A cohort study and review of the literature

AimsWe sought to determine whether primary outcomes differ between non-ICU septic patients with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsThis study utilized the Hellenic Sepsis Study Group Registry, collecting nationwide data for sepsis patients since 2006, and classified patients upon presence or absence of T2D. Patients were perfectly matched for a) Sepsis 3 definition criteria (including septic shock) b) gender, c) age, d) APACHE II score and e) Charlson's comorbidity index (CCI). Independent sample t-test and chi-square t-test was used to compare prognostic indices and primary outcomes.ResultsOf 4320 initially included non-ICU sepsis patients, 812 were finally analysed, following match on criteria. Baseline characteristics were age 76 [±10.3] years, 46% male, APACHE II 15.5 [±6], CCI 5.1 [±1.8], 24% infection, 63.8% sepsis and 12.2% septic shock. No significant difference was noted between two groups in qSOFA, SOFA, or suPAR1 levels (p = 0.7, 0.1 & 0.3) respectively. Primary sepsis syndrome resolved in 70.9% of cases (p = 0.9), while mortality was 24% in 28-days time. Cause of death was similar between patients with and without T2D (sepsis 17.8% vs 15.8%, heart event 3.7% vs 3.2%, CNS event 0.5% vs 0.5%, malignancy 0.7% vs 2% respectively, p = 0.6).ConclusionsDM does not appear to negatively affect outcomes in septic patients not requiring ICU.     

ICU内慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重患者预后危险因素分析

目的筛选与ICU内AECOPD患者死亡相关的独立危险因素。方法这是一项回顾性病例对照研究,回顾性分析2016年1月1日-2019年5月30日入住广州医科大学附属第一医院ICU的AECOPD患者,根据出ICU时的转归分为存活组和死亡组。收集患者的人口学、临床资料、治疗转归。经多元Logistics回归分析患者死亡的独立危险因素,受试者操作特性(ROC)曲线分析独立危险因素对AECOPD患者死亡的预测价值。结果共纳入170例AECOPD患者,单因素分析发现高APACHEⅡ评分,高中性粒细胞比例、降钙素原、肌钙蛋白I、pro-BNP、乳酸、尿素氮浓度,低血清白蛋白和总蛋白水平以及合并脓毒症休克是AECOPD患者ICU内死亡的危险因素(P值均<0.05)。经Logistics回归分析,筛选出死亡的独立危险因素为高APACHEⅡ评分、合并脓毒症休克,OR值分别为1.13(95%CI 1.052~1.214)、5.092(95%CI 1.697~15.277),血清总蛋白水平是死亡的保护因素,OR值为0.879(95%CI 0.818~0.944)。ROC曲线显示联合APACHEⅡ评分、血清总蛋白水平、是否合并脓毒症休克三个指标的模型显示出对患者死亡有较高的预测价值,ROC曲线下面积(AUC)为0.848(95%CI 0.785~0.911;P<0.0001)。结论入住ICU的AECOPD患者有高APACHEⅡ评分,低总蛋白水平,合并脓毒症休克的预后较差。     

Myocardial injury in critically ill patients: relation to increased cardiac troponin I and hospital mortality

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between myocardial injury, assessed by cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels, and outcome in selected critically ill patients without acute coronary syndromes or cardiac dysfunction. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective, observational study in the emergency ICU of a university teaching hospital. POPULATION: Over a 6-month period, 217 consecutive patients admitted to the ICU were studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: cTnI assays were performed in all patients on admission to the ICU. The incidence of myocardial injury, defined by cTnI level > 0.1 ng/mL, was 32% (69 of 217 patients). Overall mortality was 27% (58 of 217 patients). Patients with myocardial injury had a mortality rate of 51%, compared with only 16% mortality for those without myocardial injury (p < 0.001). The hospital mortality rate was highest among older patients (71 +/- 14% vs 58.5 +/- 20%, p < 0.0001) and patients with higher simplified acute physiology scale (SAPS) II score (62 +/- 25% vs 37 +/- 17%, p < 0.0001). Mechanical ventilation was associated with higher in-hospital death (50% vs 31%, for patients who died in the hospital vs those who were discharged alive; p = 0.03). Elevated blood levels of cTnI were found to be independently associated with hospital mortality, regardless of the presence of SAPS II score and mechanical ventilation, in the logistic regression analysis (odds ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 4.11; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the high frequency of myocardial injury (32%) in critically ill patients without acute coronary syndromes or cardiac dysfunction on admission to ICU. Myocardial injury is an independent determinant of hospital mortality. Assessment of myocardial injury on admission to ICU would make it possible to identify patients at increased risk of death.     

Community-acquired bloodstream infection in critically ill adult patients: impact of shock and inappropriate antibiotic therapy on survival

DESIGN: The objectives were to characterize the prognostic factors and evaluate the impact of inappropriate empiric antibiotic treatment and systemic response on the outcome of critically ill patients with community-acquired bloodstream infection (BSI). PATIENTS: A prospective, multicenter, observational study was carried out in 339 patients admitted in 30 ICUs for BSI. RESULTS: Crude mortality was 41.5%. Septic shock was present in 184 patients (55%). The pathogens most frequently associated with septic shock or death were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which accounted for approximately half of the deaths. Antibiotic treatment was found to be inappropriate in 14.5% of episodes. Patients in septic shock with inappropriate treatment had a survival rate below 20%. Multivariate analysis identified a significant association between septic shock and four variables: age > or = 60 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.96), previous corticosteroid therapy (OR, 2.58), leukopenia (OR, 2.32), and BSI secondary to intra-abdominal (OR, 2.38) and genitourinary tract (OR, 2.29) infections. The variables that independently predicted death at ICU admission were APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II score > or = 15 (OR, 2.42), development of septic shock (OR, 3.22), and inappropriate empiric antibiotic treatment (OR, 4.11). This last variable was independently associated with an unknown source of sepsis (OR, 2.49). Mortality attributable to inappropriate antibiotic treatment increased with the severity of illness at ICU admission (10.7% for APACHE II score < 15 and 41.8% for APACHE II score > or = 25, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate antimicrobial treatment is the most important influence on outcome in patients admitted to the ICU for community-acquired BSI, particularly in presence of septic shock or high degrees of severity. Initial broad-spectrum therapy should be prescribed to septic patients in whom the source is unknown or in those requiring vasopressors.     

Analysis of troponin I levels after spontaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks

INTRODUCTION: Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a sensitive and specific marker for myocardial injury. Myocardial ischemia and/or injury can be a trigger for ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and significance of elevated serum cTnI levels after spontaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shocks. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serial cTnI measurements and ECGs were performed in 35 patients with transvenous ICDs who were admitted after spontaneous ICD shocks. Elevated cTnI levels were found in 18 patients (51%). Acute coronary syndrome was diagnosed in 5 (22%) of 23 patients with known coronary artery disease. After excluding the patients with acute coronary syndrome, elevated cTnI levels were present in 13 (43%) of 30 patients: 18% of patients with < or =3 shocks and 58% of patients with >3 shocks. Patients with elevated cTnI levels received a higher number of shocks (16+/-18 vs 5+/-7; P < 0.05) and had higher total delivered energies (475+/-538 J vs 128+/-184 J; P < 0.05) compared with patients with normal cTnI. Patients with acute coronary syndrome had higher peak cTnI levels (18+/-16 ng/mL) compared with patients with elevated cTnI without acute coronary syndrome (3.8+/-4.3 ng/mL; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Serum cTnI rises occur in the majority of patients after multiple (>3) spontaneous ICD discharges but are due to acute coronary syndrome only 14% of the time (22% of the time in patients with known coronary artery disease).     

Current practice of management of bacteremic sepsis: a study in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Japan

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how patients with bacteremic sepsis are managed in a tertiary care teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study on patients with bacteremic sepsis. Clinical and microbiological characteristics of bacteremic sepsis were analyzed in relation to prognosis. Severity of the illness was quantitatively analyzed by the APACHE (Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation) III scoring system. Also investigated was how closely physicians paid attention to acute physiological alterations in patients. RESULTS: The 28-day mortalities in fifty hemodynamically stable patients and in twenty-three septic shock patients were 26% and 52%, respectively (p=0.028). Gram-positive organisms accounted for 54% of all organisms, with the mortality and incidence of septic shock being the same as with Gram-negative infections. The mean APACHE III score was 42.9 in survivors, and 76.5 in non-survivors (p < 0.001). Although serum levels of C-reactive protein and acute physiology score (APS) was significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors, the correlation with APACHE III score was more prominent in APS. The number of vital signs recorded was 1.67 in physicians and 3.6 in nurses (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present study proved that the APACHE III score accurately discriminates between survivors and non-survivors of patients with sepsis. By addressing the need for an objective evaluation of severity of illness, it strongly recommends that physicians should be made aware of physiologically defined sepsis and that they should pay closer attention to patients' physiological alterations to identify the development of sepsis in critically ill patients.     

Effect of admission hypertriglyceridemia on the episodes of severe acute pancreatitis

AIM： To investigate the effect of admission hypertriglyceridemia （HTG） on the episodes of severe acute pancreatitis （SAP）.
METHODS： One hundred and seventy-six patients with SAP were divided into HTG group （n = 45） and control group （n = 131） according to admission triglyceride （TG） ≥ 5.65 mmol/L and 〈 5.65 retool/L, respectively. Demographics, etiology, underlying diseases, biochemical parameters, Ranson＇ s score, acute physiology and chronic heath evaluation Ⅱ （APACHE Ⅱ） score, Balthazar＇s computed tomography （CT） score, complications and mortality were compared. Correlation between admission TG and 24-h APACHE Ⅱ score was analyzed.
RESULTS： SAP patients with HTG were younger （40.8 ± 9.3 years vs 52.6 ± 13.4 years, P 〈 0.05） with higher etiology rate of overeating, high-fat diet （40.0% vs 14.5%, P 〈 0.05） and alcohol abuse （46.7% vs 23.7%, P 〈 0.01）, incidence rate of hypocalcemia （86.7% vs 63.4%, P 〈 0.01） and hypoalbuminemia （84.4% vs 60.3%, P 〈 0.01）, 24-h APACHE Ⅱ score （13.6 ± 5.7 vs 10.7 ± 4.6, P 〈 0.01） and admission serum glucose （17.7 ± 7.7 vs 13.4 ± 6.1, P 〈 0.01）, complication rate of renal failure （51.1% vs 16.8%, P 〈 0.01）, shock （37.9% vs 14.5%, P 〈 0.01） and infection （37.4% vs 18.3%, P 〈 0.01） and mortality （13.1% vs 9.1%, P 〈 0.01）. Logistic regression analysis showed a positive correlation between admission TG and 24-h APACHE Ⅱ score （r = 0.509, P = 0.004）.
CONCLUSION： The clinical features of SAP patients with HTG are largely consistent with previous studies, HTG aggravates the episodes of SAP.     

Cardiac troponin I for stratification of early outcomes and the efficacy of enoxaparin in unstable angina: a TIMI-11B substudy

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate cardiac troponin I (cTnI) for predicting early clinical outcomes and the efficacy of enoxaparin among patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and negative creatine kinase, MB fraction (CK-MB) levels. BACKGROUND: Cardiac TnI identifies patients with unstable angina who are at higher risk of death or myocardial infarction (MI) by 30 days. The utility of cTnI for predicting very early clinical events, including recurrent ischemia, and the efficacy of enoxaparin are not yet established. METHODS: At baseline and 12 h to 24 h after enrollment in the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI)-11B trial, samples were collected for cTnI determination. RESULTS: Among 359 patients with negative serial CK-MB values, 50.1% had a cTnI result > or =0.1 ng/ml within the first 24 h. Patients with elevated cTnI were at higher risk of death or MI at 48 h (3.9 vs. 0%, p = 0.01) and 14 days (13.9 vs. 2.2%, p<0.0001). Elevated cTnI also correlated with higher risk of recurrent ischemia requiring urgent revascularization by 48 h (10.0 vs. 1.7%, p = 0.001) and 14 days (20.6 vs. 5.6%, p< or =0.0001). Enoxaparin had a greater benefit among patients with elevated vs. normal cTnI (p = 0.03), achieving a 47% reduction in the risk of death, MI or urgent revascularization by 14 days in cTnI-positive patients (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Elevation of cTnI among patients with non-ST segment elevation ACS and negative levels of CK-MB identifies those at higher risk for very early adverse outcomes, including severe recurrent ischemia. Treatment with enoxaparin reduces the risk associated with elevated cTnI.