Independent Mortality Research Articles

Biceps brachii muscle cross-sectional area measured by ultrasonography is independently associated with one-month mortality: A prospective observational study.

Studies examining mortality in palliative care units are limited. We aimed to investigate the mortality and associated factors including ultrasonographic muscle parameters in hospitalized palliative patients with a subgroup analysis of older patients. A prospective-observational study. We recorded the demographics, number of diseases, diagnoses, and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), palliative performance scale (PPS), and nutritional risk screening-2002 (NRS-2002) scores. We noted the nutritional parameters and mortality. We measured the subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), muscle thickness (MT), and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the rectus femoris and biceps brachii using ultrasonography. We enrolled 100 patients (mean age: 73.2 ± 16.4 years, 53%: female). One-month mortality was 42%. The non-survivors had significantly higher malignancy, increased CCI and NRS-2002 scores, lower required energy intake, calorie sufficiency rate, and biceps brachii SFT, MT, and CSA than the survivors. The independent mortality predictors were malignancy and biceps brachii CSA while the PPS score and malignancy were significantly associated with mortality in the older subgroup. The malignancy and biceps brachii CSA might have prognostic value in predicting mortality in palliative patients. This was the first study investigating the mortality-associated factors including ultrasonographic muscle measurements of both the lower and upper limbs in a palliative care center.

Serum Cholinesterase, C-reactive Protein, Interleukin 6, and Procalcitonin Levels as Predictors of Mortality in Patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

The prognostic utility of inflammatory markers in survival has been suggested in patients with cancer; however, evidence on their prognostic value in severely ill patients is very limited. We aimed to explore the prognostic value of cholinesterase (ChE), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and procalcitonin (PCT) in predicting mortality in patients from the intensive care unit (ICU). Serum levels of ChE, CRP, IL-6 and PCT were measured in ICU patients from December 13th, 2019 to June 28th, 2022. We assessed the predictive power of ChE, CRP, IL-6, and PCT using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Furthermore, we evaluated their diagnostic accuracy by comparing the areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The cut-off values were determined to dichotomise these biomarkers, which were then included in multivariable logistic regression models to examine their relationship with ICU mortality. Among 253 ICU patients included in the study, 66 (26%) died during the ICU stay. The AUCs to predict ICU mortality were 0.643 (95% CI, 0.566-0.719), 0.648 (95% CI, 0.633-0.735), 0.643 (95% CI, 0.563-0.723) and 0.735 (95% CI, 0.664-0.807) for ChE, CRP, IL-6 and PCT, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex and disease severity, lower ChE level (<3.668 × 103 U L-1) and higher levels of CRP (>10.546 mg dL-1), IL-6 (>986.245 pg mL-1) and PCT (>0.505 μg L-1) were associated with higher mortality risk, with odd ratios of 2.70 (95% CI, 1.32-5.54), 4.99 (95% CI, 2.41-10.38), 3.24 (95% CI, 1.54-6.78) and 3.67 (95% CI, 1.45-9.95), respectively. ChE, CRP, IL-6 and PCT were independent ICU mortality risk factors in severely ill patients. Elevated PCT levels exhibited better predictive value than the other three biomarkers that were evaluated.

Prognostic Significance of Diastolic Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients With Sepsis and Septic Shock: Insights From a Longitudinal Tertiary Care Study.

Sepsis is one of the leading contributors to global mortality and morbidity, causing multi-organ failure, mainly involving cardiovascular failure, both systolic and diastolic dysfunction, leading to adverse clinical outcomes. There is little clinical data on the correlation with the mortality ofpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with sepsis and septic shock and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Our study sought to assess whether the severity of diastolic dysfunction could predict 28-day mortality. The study included T2DM patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with sepsisand septic shock defined according to the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock at a tertiary care center in northern India. A total of 132 patients (age = 61.01 ± 13.12 years; 62% male; mean APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score = 25.74 ± 4.79; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score = 12.34 ± 3.36) underwent transthoracic echocardiography within two hours of ICU admission till 28 days of admission or till mortality occurred. Clinical variables (APACHE II and SOFA score) and cardiac biomarkers, such as N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), troponin I, and creatine phosphokinase-MB, were measured at the time of admission and after 72 hours to compare with mortality. Diastolic dysfunction was defined according to the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) 2009 guidelines, classifying subjects into grade 0 (normal), if early diastolic velocity (e') ≥ 8 cm/s; grade 1 (impaired relaxation), if e' < 8 cm/s and early (E) to late (A) ventricular filling velocities (E/A) ratio < 0.8; grade 2 (pseudo normal), if e' < 8 cm/s, E/A = 0.8-1.5, and peak E-wave velocity by the peak e' velocity (E/e') ratio = 9-12; and grade 3 (restrictive), if e' < 8 cm/s, E/A > 2, deceleration time (DT) < 160 ms, and E/e' ≥ 13. Thirty-seven (40.65%) out of 132 patients had diastolic dysfunction on initial echocardiography, while 54 (59.34%) had diastolic dysfunction on at least subsequent echocardiography. Total mortality was 68.93% with the highest mortality (100%) observed among those with grade 3 diastolic dysfunction. The 28-day mortality with diastolic dysfunction in sepsis and septic shock patients showed significant results (p < 0.001), indicating that with a higherE/A ratio or higher grade of diastolic dysfunction with the increase in SOFA score, the early ICU mortality is the highest and have the shortest duration of ICU stay with mean ± SD = 6.2 ± 2.48, as compared to other grades with 100% mortality. Also, the cardiac biomarkerNT-pro-BNP was markedly elevated with a mean ± SD value of 503 ± 269.3 pg/ml, indicating early predicted mortality.No correlation was detected between mortality and the mean levels of fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, and glycosylated hemoglobin. Our study concluded that diastolic dysfunction is an important and strongest independent mortality predictor in patients with T2DM with severe sepsis and septic shock, and the higher the grade of diastolic dysfunction, the higher the mortality with the lowest mean ICU stay.

Sarcopenia defined with L3-SMI is an independent predictor of survival in male patients with ARLD in mainland China.

The burden of alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is increasing in China. Patients with ARLD are more likely to have comorbid sarcopenia, which may impair their survival. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the prognoses of patients with ARLD and sarcopenia, identified using the skeletal muscle index at the third lumbar vertebra level (L3-SMI). Hospitalized patients with ARLD were retrospectively enrolled between 2015 and 2018 and followed up for 24 months to evaluate their survival profiles. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate patient survival factors. A receiver operating characteristic curve was created to identify the cut-off point of the L3-SMI for predicting the prognoses of Chinese patients with ARLD. The study enrolled 168 male patients with ARLD who were followed-up for 24 months or until a study endpoint was met. The overall L3-SMI in patients with ARLD was 42.61 ± 9.15 cm2/m2, and 42.86% (72/168) of patients with ARLD were comorbid with sarcopenia. The overall survival in patients with ARLD was 77.38% at 24 months. The survival rate of patients with sarcopenia was lower than that of patients without sarcopenia (66.67% vs. 85.42%, p = 0.004). Multiple Cox regression analysis showed that sarcopenia, abstinence, and baseline creatinine level were independent prognostic factors of 24-month survival with hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.022 (1.025-3.991), 0.275 (0.122-0.617), and 1.018 (1.008-1.027), respectively. The cut-off value of the L3-SMI for predicting 24-month survival was 40.0 cm2/m2 for male patients with ARLD. Sarcopenia is an independent mortality risk factor in male patients with ARLD in mainland China. Early diagnosis and intervention of sarcopenia are important for optimizing the management of patients with ARLD.

Clinical Manifestations and Risk Factors Associated with 14 Deaths following Swarm Wasp Stings in a Chinese Tertiary Grade A General Hospital: A Retrospective Database Analysis Study.

The objective was to evaluate the poisoning severity score (PSS) as an early prognostic predictor in patients with wasp stings and identify associated clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality. A total of 363 patients with wasp stings at Suining Central Hospital between January 2016 and December 2018 were enrolled. Within the first 24 h of admission, the poisoning severity score (PSS) and the Chinese expert consensus on standardized diagnosis and treatment of wasp stings (CECC) were utilized for severity classification, and their correlation was examined. Patients were then divided into survival and death groups based on discharge status. Logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze factors influencing patients' outcomes. The mortality of wasp sting patients was 3.9%. The PSS and CECC were found to correlate for severity classification. Additionally, female gender, age, number of stings, and PSS were identified as independent risk factors for mortality in wasp sting patients. Combining these four factors yielded an AUC of 0.962 for predicting death. PSS aids in early severity classification of wasp stings. Female gender, age, number of stings, and PSS were independent mortality risk factors in these patients.

Liver dysfunction on admission worsens clinical manifestations and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019.

Liver dysfunction was common in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but its association with clinical features and poor prognosis has not been fully delineated. Our study aimed to determine the role of liver dysfunction in COVID-19 and understand the predictors for worse outcomes in patients with liver injury. We conducted this multicenter, retrospective study in five designated hospitals for COVID-19 management. Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled and classified into the normal live function group and liver dysfunction group according to liver enzymes, bilirubin, and albumin on admission, respectively. Data of baseline, clinical manifestations, and outcomes were collected and compared in the paired groups. Of the 649 included COVID-19 patients, 200 (30.8%), 69 (10.6%), and 267 (41.1%) patients had elevated liver enzymes, increased bilirubin, and low-level albumin, respectively. Fever, cough, and dyspnea were the most common symptoms and showed an increased proportion in the liver dysfunction group. Compared with patients in the normal liver function group, patients with liver dysfunction manifested decreased lymphocytes, higher level of leukocytes, neutrophils, inflammatory indicators, and cytokines, as well as more severe impairment in kidney function and myocardium. They were more likely to show bilateral involvement and more pulmonary lobes involved according to chest images. With increased proportion of patients who developed severe/critical conditions and needed mechanical ventilation and systemic glucocorticoid therapy, patients with liver dysfunction on admission showed significantly higher in-hospital mortality. Moreover, cardiac troponin I ≥1.5ng/mL was identified as an independent mortality predictor in the elevated liver enzymes group. Patients with liver dysfunction on admission had worse clinical manifestation, and resulted in higher rate of severe/critical type, receiving mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality.

A Revised PADMA Scoring System for Predicting in-Hospital Mortality in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patient.

In order to predict in-hospital mortality in ACS (Acute Coronary Syndrome) patients based solely on clinical examination, this study compares the shock index (heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure) variable in PADMA (PADjadjaran Mortality in Acute Coronary Syndrome) with the modified shock index (heart rate divided by mean arterial pressure) score. The predictive efficacy of the PADMA score in predicting in-hospital mortality in ACS patients has been in doubt up until recently. All ACS patients above the age of 18 who were admitted to Dr. Hasan Sadikin Central General Hospital between January 2018 and January 2023 were included in this retrospective observational cohort study. This study did not involve any interventions, and verbal informed permission was obtained with the Hasan Sadikin Hospital Ethic Committee's approval. Multivariate logistic regression was used to gather and evaluate patient demographic, comorbidity, and clinical presentation data in order to provide two scoring systems (probability and cut-off models) that can be used to predict in-hospital all-cause death. The Fisher Z test was used to assess the area under the curve (AUC) between the PADMA SI (shock index) and PADMA MSI (modified shock index). Killip classifications III and IV, tachycardia, a high shock index, and older age were found to be independent mortality predictors and were included to the PADMA MSI score by multivariate regression analysis of 1504 people. PADMA SI score >8 has a sensitivity of 67.92% and a specificity of 84.01% for predicting all-cause death. The range of the PADMA SI score is 0 to 19. The AUC between the PADMA MSI and PADMA SI scores did not differ significantly (p=0.022). Similar to the PADMA SI score, the PADMA MSI score >8 demonstrated an accurate discriminative power to forecast in-hospital mortality though it did not have significant statistic difference.

Risk Factors Predicting in Hospital Mortality Among Intubated Patients with Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Associated with Ventilation-Associated Pneumonia

Approximately every fourth patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE COPD) will require intensive care unit (ICV) admission with further mechanical ventilation (MV) and therefore with high risk of development ventilator- associated pneumonia (VAP). VAP is the commonest ICU infection and results in increased morbidity/ mortality. The study was aimed to learn risk factors predicting in- hospital mortality among patients with AE COPD associated with VAP and to evaluate the modifiable risk factors in term on reduction of mortality. This retrospective study involved patients with AE of COPD who required MV and admitted in respiratory care unit at a University teaching Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 various baseline demographic and clinical features were compared between patients with VAP and without VAP. Although various baseline demographic and clinical features were compared between survivors and non-survivors with VAP. The study included 164 intubated patients with AE of COPD with age of 60.42+ 8.44 years, 48 patients developed VAP. Multivariable analysis showed that severe sepsis/septic shock, pulmonary complications such as bilateral and multi-lobar lung infiltrates, malnutrition, concomitnant bronchiectasis and history of previous hospitalization were independent predictors in-hospital mortality in intubated COPD patients associated with VAP with odds ratio (95%) confidence interval of 3.74(1.04-7.69; p= 0.004), 4.26 (0.48-9.24: p= 0.002), 2.89(1.01- 5.96: p=0.012), 2.48 (1.14-5.41; p= 0.019), 3.26 ( 1.46-7.52;p= 0.01, respectively). Acinotebacter baumannii was the most common causative organism (n= 21: 43.7%) and was frequent finding among non-survivors with VAP.(p=0.001). All infections releated to Acinotebacter baumannii were multidrug resistant (MDR). Our retrospective study provide to clinicans and especially to ICU department physicians a tool approach to identify the mortality rosk of VAP complicated the intubated COPD patients. We found a high burden of concominant bronchiectasis releated to in hospital mortality and several other predictors associated with fatal outcomes, which could help identife found a high burden of concominant bronchiectasis releated to in hospital mortality and several other predictors associated with fatal outcomes, which could help identify patients who might benefit from adequate, early amprical antibiotic treatment, as well as, determine prognosis. Although prevention of malnutrition and exacerbations leading to hospitalization of COPD patients may associated with decreased fatal outcomes. Our findings should be validated by studies with larger samples of patients.

Five-Year Independent Patient-Level Mortality Analysis of the Pooled ILLUMENATE Pivotal and EU Randomized Controlled Trials.

There is a need to evaluate the latest information regarding a potential late safety signal in patients treated with paclitaxel-coated devices for peripheral artery disease. We evaluated the 5-year all-cause mortality rate of the Stellarex drug-coated balloon (DCB) compared with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). An independent third-party performed a patient-level meta-analysis of the pooled ILLUMENATE Pivotal and EU randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was time to death. Kaplan-Meier estimates of all-cause mortality were compared with the log-rank test. Predictors of mortality were assessed with Cox proportional hazard modeling. A blinded clinical events committee adjudicated all serious adverse events (including death). The follow-up was 60 months. A total of 589 patients were followed for a median of 4.9 years (IQR, 4.8, 5.1 years); 419 were randomized to Stellarex DCB and 170 to PTA. Vital status was obtained for 93.8%. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from all-cause death were 80.4% (95% CI, 76.7%-84.3%) in the Stellarex DCB arm versus 80.4% (95% CI, 74.3%-86.5%) in the PTA arm (log-rank, P = .7754). There was no difference in all-cause mortality when stratified by paclitaxel dose terciles. Predictors of mortality included renal insufficiency, reference vessel diameter, age, and lesion length, but not paclitaxel dose nor paclitaxel exposure. There was no difference in all-cause mortality between the Stellarex DCB and PTA through the final 5-year follow-up window of 2 ILLUMENATE randomized controlled trials. These long-term data build on the previously reported safety of the Stellarex DCB for treating symptomatic femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease.

Characteristics, Outcomes, and Clinical Indicators of Bloodstream Infections in Neutropenic Patients with Hematological Malignancies: A 7-Year Retrospective Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the current epidemiology, its changes during the study years, and inflammatory biomarkers of bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) in neutropenic patients with hematological malignancies. We assessed mortality risk factors and multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative BSI predictors. We conducted a retrospective study from January 2015 to December 2021, which included adult neutropenic oncohematological patients with confirmed BSIs. We used univariable and multivariable analyses to analyze the risk factors. Each index's reliability for bacterial BSI diagnosis was assessed using the receiver-operating characteristic curve and area under the curve. A total of 514 isolates were obtained from the 452 patients. The average mortality was 17.71%. Gram-negative organisms were the predominant causes of BSI. Escherichia coli was the most common microorganism (49.90%). The overall variation trend of the isolation rate of MDR and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria increased. Multivariate analysis indicated that: 1) neutropenia that lasted for more than 7 days, patients ≥ 60 years of age, septic shock, hospitalization for >20 days, BSI with a carbapenem-resistant strain, and treatment with linezolid or vancomycin in infections lasting less than 30 days were independent mortality risk factors; 2) severe neutropenia exceeding 7 days, unreasonable empirical therapy, and receipt of aminoglycosides or 3rd or 4th generation cephalosporins in infections lasting less than 30 days were independent risk factors of MDR gram-negative bacteria. Procalcitonin, absolute neutrophil count, and white blood cell indicate higher diagnostic accuracy for BSIs. Moreover, bacteria time to detection was better at differentiating Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections. We analyzed the risk factors for BSI neutropenic patients with hematological malignancies, the distribution of bacteria, antibiotic resistance, and the changes in clinical parameters. This single-center retrospective study may provide clinicians with novel insights into the diagnosis and treatment of BSI to improve future clinical outcomes.

#4160 PHASE ANGLE (PA), AGE AND MIS AS MORTALITY PREDICTORS IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CKD

Abstract Background and Aims Survival study in Advanced CKD patients according to age, MIS and phase angle Method We studied 225 patients with ACKD, 153 men (68.3%), xage 70.09±12.72 years. We analyze survival at 120 months and how the Phase angle (PA) and MIS scale influence mortality. We chose these parameters, one of body composition (BIA-vector) and the MIS malnutrition-inflammation scale, since they are described as independent predictive factors. Results We defined the cut-off point for PA with the ROC curve, appearing as 3.75 (sensitivity 67% and specificity 55%). With 83 (37.1%) ≤3.75 and 141 (62.9%) greater than 3.75 PA, with significance between men and women p0.001. Analyzing the % of deaths with PA with PC- 3.75 there is a significant difference between groups p0.001 with difference between men and women With a cut-off point of 5 for MIS, we established 162 (72.3%) with ≤5 and 82 (22.7%) with MIS&amp;gt;5. Analyzing the % of deaths according to MIS strata, there is a significant difference p 0.001, Sig difference between men and women p0.021 We define with COR cut-off point age = 70.5 years sens 85% spec 63% 79 patients (64.6%) died in 120 months, 53/152 (65.1%) men and 45/71 (63.4%) women pns. xage deceased 76.39±9.16 vs 66.63±13.14 years p0.001. The survival curves for the 3 variables by Kaplan Meier are significant with the established cut-off points (Fig. 1). In the univariate analysis we found that age (CP-70.5 years) p0.001, and PA (CP-3.75) p0.04 are significant, but not MIS(CP-5). In the Cox analysis we evaluated age, PA and MIS, with age appearing as a priority, followed by PA and finally the statistical MIS Wald 18.73, 3.77 and 2.26 respectively. Conclusion 1-Age, phase angle and MIS are independent mortality risk factors for ACKD patients. 2-In the multivariate model Age and phase angle are predictors of mortality. 3-Independent of age, the phase angle is the best predictor of mortality.

Risk prediction in patients with classical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis undergoing surgical intervention.

Classical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis (LFLG-AS) is an advanced stage of aortic stenosis, which has a poor prognosis with medical treatment and a high operative mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). There is currently a paucity of information regarding the current prognosis of classical LFLG-AS patients undergoing SAVR and the lack of a reliable risk assessment tool for this particular subset of AS patients. The present study aims to assess mortality predictors in a population of classical LFLG-AS patients undergoing SAVR. This is a prospective study including 41 consecutive classical LFLG-AS patients (aortic valve area ≤1.0 cm2, mean transaortic gradient <40 mmHg, left ventricular ejection fraction <50%). All patients underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), 3D echocardiography, and T1 mapping cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Patients with pseudo-severe aortic stenosis were excluded. Patients were divided into groups according to the median value of the mean transaortic gradient (≤25 and >25 mmHg). All-cause, intraprocedural, 30-day, and 1-year mortality rates were evaluated. All of the patients had degenerative aortic stenosis, with a median age of 66 (60-73) years; most of the patients were men (83%). The median EuroSCORE II was 2.19% (1.5%-4.78%), and the median STS was 2.19% (1.6%-3.99%). On DSE, 73.2% had flow reserve (FR), i.e., an increase in stroke volume ≥20% during DSE, with no significant differences between groups. On CMR, late gadolinium enhancement mass was lower in the group with mean transaortic gradient >25 mmHg [2.0 (0.0-8.9) g vs. 8.5 (2.3-15.0) g; p = 0.034), and myocardium extracellular volume (ECV) and indexed ECV were similar between groups. The 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were 14.6% and 43.8%, respectively. The median follow-up was 4.1 (0.3-5.1) years. By multivariate analysis adjusted for FR, only the mean transaortic gradient was an independent predictor of mortality (hazard ratio: 0.923, 95% confidence interval: 0.864-0.986, p = 0.019). A mean transaortic gradient ≤25 mmHg was associated with higher all-cause mortality rates (log-rank p = 0.038), while there was no difference in mortality regarding FR status (log-rank p = 0.114). In patients with classical LFLG-AS undergoing SAVR, the mean transaortic gradient was the only independent mortality predictor in patients with LFLG-AS, especially if ≤25 mmHg. The absence of left ventricular FR had no prognostic impact on long-term outcomes.

Country-level predictors of COVID-19 mortality

This study aimed to identify country-level predictors of COVID-19 mortality, after controlling for diverse potential factors, and utilizing current worldwide mortality data. COVID-19 deaths, as well as geographic, demographic, socioeconomic, healthcare, population health, and pandemic-related variables, were obtained for 152 countries. Continuous variables were examined with Spearman’s correlation, categorical variables with ANOVA or Welch’s Heteroscedastic F Test, and country-level independent predictors of COVID-19 mortality identified by weighted generalized additive models. This study identified independent mortality predictors in six limited models, comprising groups of related variables. However, in the full model, only WHO region, percent of population ≥ 65 years, Corruption Perception Index, hospital beds/100,000 population, and COVID-19 cases/100,000 population were predictive of mortality, with model accounting for 80.7% of variance. These findings suggest areas for focused intervention in the event of similar future public health emergencies, including prioritization of the elderly, optimizing healthcare capacity, and improving deficient health sector-related governance.

Effect of ionized calcium level on short-term prognosis in severe multiple trauma patients: a clinical study

BackgroundHypocalcemia has been reported as an independent predictor of trauma mortality. We investigated the relationship between temporal variations in blood ionized calcium concentration (iCa) and prognosis in severe trauma patients...

Microbiological Analysis and Mortality Risk Factors in Patients with Polymicrobial Bloodstream Infections.

To study the etiological characteristics and risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with polymicrobial bloodstream infections. Overall, 141 patients with polymicrobial bloodstream infections in Henan Provincial People's Hospital during 2021 were included. Laboratory test indexes, department of admission, sex, age, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, surgical history, and central venous catheter placement were collected. Patients were divided into surviving and deceased groups based on outcomes at discharge. Mortality risk factors were identified by univariate and multivariable analyses. Seventy-two of 141 patients survived. Patients were mainly from the ICU and the Departments of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Hematology. Overall, 312 microbial strains were detected: 119 gram-positive, 152 gram-negative, and 13 anaerobic bacteria and 28 fungi. Among the gram-positive bacteria, coagulase-negative staphylococci were most frequent (44/119, 37%), followed by enterococci (35/119, 29.4%). Among coagulase-negative staphylococci, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci incidence was 75% (33/44). Among gram-negative bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae was most common (45/152, 29.6%), followed by Escherichia coli (25/152, 16.4%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13/152, 8.6%). Among K. pneumoniae, the incidence of carbapenem-resistant (CR) K. pneumoniae was 45.7% (21/45). On univariate analysis, mortality risk factors included increased white blood cells and C-reactive protein, decreased total protein and albumin, CR strains, ICU admission, central venous catheter, multiple organ failure, sepsis, shock, pulmonary diseases, respiratory failure, central nervous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hypoproteinemia, and electrolyte disturbances (P < 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that ICU admission, shock, electrolyte disorders, and central nervous system diseases were independent mortality risk factors. The survival curve shows that the survival rate of patients with polymicrobial CR bloodstream infections was lower than that of patients with polymicrobial non-CR bloodstream infections (P=0.029). Patients with polymicrobial bloodstream infections are typically critically ill and harbor multidrug-resistant bacteria. Thus, to minimize mortality rate in critically ill patients, changes in infectious flora should be monitored, antibiotics selected reasonably, and invasive procedures reduced.

Low T3 syndrome is associated with 30-day mortality in adult patients with fulminant myocarditis.

Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a critical disease with high early mortality. Low triiodothyronine syndrome (LT3S) was a strong predictor of poor prognosis of critical diseases. This study investigated whether LT3S was associated with 30-day mortality in FM patients. Ninety-six FM patients were divided into LT3S (n=39, 40%) and normal free triiodothyronine (FT3) (n=57, 60%) groups based on serum FT3 level. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of 30-day mortality. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare 30-day mortality between two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the value of FT3 level for 30-day mortality prediction. Compared to normal FT3 group, LT3S group had higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, worse hemodynamics, worse cardiac function, more severe kidney impairment, and higher 30-day mortality (48.7% vs. 12.3%, P<0.001). In univariable analysis, LT3S (odds ratio [OR]:6.786, 95% confidence interval [CI]:2.472-18.629, P<0.001) and serum FT3 (OR:0.272, 95%CI:0.139-0.532, P<0.001) were significant strong predictors of 30-day mortality. After adjustment for confounders in multivariable analysis, LT3S (OR:3.409, 95%CI:1.019-11.413, P=0.047) and serum FT3 (OR:0.408, 95%CI:0.199-0.837, P=0.014) remained independent 30-day mortality predictors. The area under the ROC curve of FT3 level was 0.774 (cut-off: 3.58, sensitivity: 88.46%, specificity: 62.86%). In DCA, FT3 level showed good clinical-application value for 30-day mortality prediction. In FM patients, LT3S could independently predict 30-day mortality. FT3 level was a strong 30-day mortality predictor and a potentially useful risk-stratification biomarker.

Long-term outcome in patients with heart failure and diabetes mellitus treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a proven therapy in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, little is known about the long-term prognosis and the risk of cardiac device-related infective endocarditis (CDRIE) in patients with HF and diabetes mellitus (DM) treated with CRT. Aim To assess the long-term outcomes, mortality predictors, and the risk of CDRIE in patients with HF and DM undergoing CRT. Methods Study population consisted of 1059 consecutive patients with CRT implanted between 2002 and 2019 in a tertiary care university hospital in a densely inhabited, urban region of Poland (949 subjects [89.6%] with CRT-D; 110 patients with CRT-P [10.4%]; 832 men [78.6%]). Population was divided into DM and control group (without DM); n=367 (34.7%) vs. n=692 (65.3%), respectively. Results During the median follow-up of 1661 days (10th and 90th percentile: 323-3995), all-cause mortality in DM group was significantly higher than in control group (61.9% vs. 50.3%, P=0.0003; Figure 1). The risk of CDRIE was 6.5% vs. 4.9% respectively in both groups (P=0.27). On multivariable regression analysis, older age (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.05, P&amp;lt;0.001), ischemic cardiomyopathy (HR 1.60, 95%CI 1.18-2.19, P=0.003), lower left ventricular ejection fraction (HR 0.96, 95%CI 0.94-0.99, P=0.002), higher creatinine level (HR 1.004, 95%CI 1.001-1.006, P=0.001), and diabetes treated with insulin (HR 1.56, 95%CI 1.19-2.05, P=0.001) were identified as independent predictors of higher mortality in patients with DM undergoing CRT impantation. Conclusions Compared with patients without diabetes, mortality rates of those with DM treated with CRT implantation are significantly higher and nearly 2/3 of patients die within 4.5 years. Advanced age, ischemic cardiomyopathy, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, higher creatinine level, and diabetes treated with insulin are independent mortality predictors in subjects with HF and DM treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy. Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier curves for survival of patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM) treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (log rank P&amp;lt;0.001)

Implication of the 2014 World Health Organization Integrated Management of Childhood Illness Pneumonia Guidelines with and without pulse oximetry use in Malawi: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Under-5 pneumonia mortality remains high in low-income countries. In 2014 the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that children with chest indrawing pneumonia, but without danger signs or peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) &lt; 90% be treated in the community, rather than hospitalized. In Malawi there is limited pulse oximetry availability. Methods: Secondary analysis of 13,413 under-5 pneumonia cases in Malawi. Pneumonia associated case fatality ratios (CFR) were calculated by disease severity under the assumptions of the 2005 and 2014 WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines, with and without pulse oximetry. We investigated if pulse oximetry readings were missing not at random (MNAR). Results: The CFR of patients classified as having non-severe pneumonia per the 2014 IMCI guidelines doubled under the assumption that pulse oximetry was not available (1.5% without pulse oximetry vs 0.7% with pulse oximetry, P&lt;0.001). When 2014 IMCI guidelines were applied with pulse oximetry and a SpO2 &lt; 90% as the threshold for referral and/or admission, the number of cases meeting hospitalization criteria decreased by 70.3%. Unrecorded pulse oximetry readings were MNAR with an adjusted odds for mortality of 4.9 (3.8, 6.3), similar to that of a SpO2 &lt; 90%. Although fewer girls were hospitalized, female sex was an independent mortality risk factor. Conclusions: In Malawi, implementation of the 2014 WHO IMCI pneumonia guidelines, without pulse oximetry, will miss high risk cases. Alternatively, implementation of pulse oximetry may result in a large reduction in hospitalization rates without significantly increasing non-severe pneumonia associated CFR if the inability to obtain a pulse oximetry reading is considered a WHO danger sign.

Predictive Factors of Mortality in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Study about 100 Cases

Despite major advances that were made in intensive care unit, mortality rate remains high. The objective of our study was to analyze the incidence and predictive factors of mortality in a surgical intensive care unit, in order to apprehend these factors for an optimal management. We have conducted a retrospective study about 100 consecutive cases of patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit of Ibn Sina University Hospital in Rabat, during a 3-month period (02/01/2021-02/04/2021). Nearly 20 parameters were collected, analyzed and compared between the group of survivors and the group of deceased. The results shows that the mean age of the patients was 56.86 years, and the sex ratio of men to women was 1,56. Medical comorbidities were dominated by hypertensive and/or ischemic heart disease (38%), diabetes (22%), smoking (27%), neoplasia (17%). 61% of patients were admitted for a surgical pathology, 30% for a medical pathology, and 9% for a traumatic reason. The average APACHE II score at admission was 14,61. On the therapeutic level: 39% of the patients had recourse to vasoactive drugs, 49% had recourse to mechanical ventilation, 6% benefited from extra-renal purification, and 46% from a transfusion of blood derivatives. The average length of stay was 6,46 days. Multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression identified the following factors as independent mortality factors: the existence of neoplastic comorbidities, admission for a medical reason, the elevated APACHE II score, the need for vasoactive drugs, the prolonged mechanic ventilation, the need for transfusion, and the elevated length of stay, all of them were significant. Knowing the predictive factors of mortality will allow us to improve the quality of the care provided, and to target an eventual preventive action to improve the prognosis and to decrease mortality in intensive care unit.

Artificial neural network based prediction of the lung tissue involvement as an independent in-hospital mortality and mechanical ventilation risk factor in COVID-19.

During COVID-19 pandemic, artificial neural network (ANN) systems have been providing aid for clinical decisions. However, to achieve optimal results, these models should link multiple clinical data points to simple models. This study aimed to model the in-hospital mortality and mechanical ventilation risk using a two step approach combining clinical variables and ANN-analyzed lung inflammation data. A data set of 4317 COVID-19 hospitalized patients, including 266 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, was analyzed. Demographic and clinical data (including the length of hospital stay and mortality) and chest computed tomography (CT) data were collected. Lung involvement was analyzed using a trained ANN. The combined data were then analyzed using unadjusted and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Overall in-hospital mortality associated with ANN-assigned percentage of the lung involvement (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.4-7.43, p < 0.001 for the patients with >50% of lung tissue affected by COVID-19 pneumonia), age category (HR: 5.34, 95% CI: 3.32-8.59 for cases >80 years, p < 0.001), procalcitonin (HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.59-2.76, p < 0.001, C-reactive protein level (CRP) (HR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.25-3.56, p = 0.004), glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (HR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.37-2.42, p < 0.001) and troponin (HR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.69-2.72, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the risk of mechanical ventilation is also associated with ANN-based percentage of lung inflammation (HR: 13.2, 95% CI: 8.65-20.4, p < 0.001 for patients with >50% involvement), age, procalcitonin (HR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.14-3.2, p = 0.14, eGFR (HR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.2-2.74, p = 0.004) and clinical variables, including diabetes (HR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.91-3.27, p < 0.001), cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (HR: 3.16, 95% CI: 2.38-4.2, p < 0.001) and chronic pulmonary disease (HR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.44-3.7, p < 0.001). ANN-based lung tissue involvement is the strongest predictor of unfavorable outcomes in COVID-19 and represents a valuable support tool for clinical decisions.