Prognostic risk factors of patients with sepsis and the clinical characteristics of patients with septic myocardial injury

Abstract

To analyze the prognostic risk factors of patients with sepsis and the clinical characteristics of patients with septic myocardial injury. A retrospective study was conducted. The clinical data of 300 patients with sepsis admitted to emergency department of Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from September 2017 to June 2020 were enrolled, including basic information, blood test indicators and auxiliary inspection indicators. The patients were grouped according to myocardial injury and the clinical characteristics of patients with septic myocardial injury were analyzed. According to 28-day prognosis, they were divided into survival group and non-survival group. The differences in various indicators between the two groups were compared, and binary Logistic regression was used to explore independent risk factors for death in patients with sepsis. In 300 patients, 47 patients were excluded for previous heart disease or lack of the main inspections, and 253 patients were enrolled finally. (1) Myocardial injury occurred in 136 out of 253 patients (53.8%), and 117 without myocardial injury. Compared with the non-myocardial injury group, the myocardial injury group had higher blood white blood cell count [WBC (×109/L): 9.7 (6.7, 13.4) vs. 8.3 (5.4, 12.2)] and procalcitonin [PCT (μg/L): 0.61 (0.18, 4.63) vs. 0.23 (0.09, 0.99)] at admission, and more Staphylococcal infections (17.6% vs. 2.6%), more arrhythmia (sinus tachycardia: 30.9% vs. 23.1%), more ST-T changes (26.5% vs. 23.1%), lower left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF: 0.60 (0.54, 0.65) vs. 0.62 (0.60, 0.66)], higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure [PASP (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 38.0 (32.2, 46.0) vs. 33.0 (30.0, 40.2)], and worse prognosis (28-day mortality: 44.1% vs. 6.0%, all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that PCT increased [odds ratio (OR) = 1.039, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.018-1.060, P < 0.01], LVEF decreased (OR = 0.828, 95%CI was 0.729-0.941, P < 0.01) and sinus tachycardia (OR = 3.512, 95%CI was 1.417-8.702, P < 0.01) were clinical characteristics of septic patients with myocardial injury. (2) A total of 186 of the 253 patients survived, and 67 died with 28-day mortality of 26.5%. Compared with the survival group, non-survival group had higher myocardial markers and inflammation markers at admission [cardiac troponin T (cTnT, μg/L): 0.06 (0.02, 0.17) vs. 0.02 (0.01, 0.05), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP, ng/L): 3 037.0 (1 308.7, 12 033.7) vs. 893.9 (272.8, 2 825.5), creatine kinase (CK, U/L): 144.5 (57.5, 660.8) vs. 89.5 (47.8, 201.0), WBC (×109/L): 10.5 (6.7, 14.6) vs. 8.6 (6.0, 12.0), C-reactive protein (CRP, mg/L): 89.2 (54.8, 128.5) vs. 63.8 (19.3, 105.6), PCT (μg/L): 2.13 (0.31, 11.79) vs. 0.28 (0.10, 1.25), all P < 0.05], and more sinus tachycardia and atrial arrhythmia (41.8% vs. 22.0%, 29.9% vs. 17.7%, both P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that cTnT increased (OR = 2.115, 95%CI was 1.189-5.459, P < 0.05), sinus tachycardia (OR = 2.557, 95%CI was 1.103-5.929, P < 0.05) and atrial arrhythmia (OR = 2.474, 95%CI was 1.025-5.969, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for 28-day death in patients with sepsis. Myocardial injury is an independent risk factor for death in patients with sepsis. PCT elevation, LVEF decreased and sinus tachycardia are main characteristics of patients with septic myocardial injury, which should attract clinical attention.