Lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Scores Research Articles

Rapid response system for critically ill patients with haematological malignancies: A pre- and post-intervention study.

This study aimed to determine whether implementing a rapid response system (RRS) is associated with improved short-term outcomes in critically ill patients with haematological malignancies. Our monocentric pre- versus post-intervention study was conducted between January 2012 and April 2020. RRS was activated at early signs of haemodynamic or respiratory failure. The primary outcome was the reduction in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on Day 3 after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Secondary outcomes included time to ICU admission and mortality. A total of 209 patients with a median age of 59 years were enrolled (108 in the pre-intervention period and 101 in the post-intervention period). 22% of them had received an allogeneic transplant. The post-intervention period was associated with a shorter time to ICU admission (195 vs. 390 min, p < .001), a more frequent favourable trend in SOFA score (57% vs. 42%, adjusted odds ratio, 2.02, 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 3.76), no significant changes in ICU (22% vs. 26%, p = .48) and 1-year (62% vs. 58%, p = .62) mortality rates. Detection of early organ failure and activation of an RRS was associated with faster ICU admission and lower SOFA scores on Day 3 of admission in critically ill patients with haematological malignancies.

Clinical Characteristics, Prognosis and Treatment of Bloodstream Infections with Enterobacter Cloacae Complex in a Chinese Tertiary Hospital: A Retrospective Study.

This research aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, prognosis, and antimicrobial treatment of bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC). The clinical data of patients with bloodstream infections caused by Enterobacter cloacae complex from April 2017 to June 2023 were collected retrospectively. These data were then analyzed in subgroups based on the detection results of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), 30-day mortality, and the type of antimicrobial agent used (β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLICs) or carbapenems). The proportion of ESBL-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex was 32.5% (37/114). Meanwhile, ICU admission, receiving surgical treatment within 3 months, and biliary tract infection were identified as risk factors for ESBL-producing ECC-BSI. Additionally, immunocompromised status and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 6.0 were identified as independent risk factors of 30-day mortality in patients with ECC-BSI (n = 108). Further analysis in BSI patients caused by non-ESBL-producing ECC revealed that patients treated with BLICs (n = 45) had lower SOFA scores and lower incidence of hypoproteinemia and sepsis compared with patients treated with carbapenems (n = 20). Moreover, in non-ESBL-producing ECC-BSI patients, the univariate Cox regression analysis indicated a significantly lower 30-day mortality rate in patients treated with BLICs compared to those treated with carbapenems (hazard ratios (HR) [95% CI] 0.190 [0.055-0.662], P = 0.009; adjusted HR [95% CI] 0.106 [0.013-0.863], P = 0.036). This study investigated the factors influencing the susceptibility to infection by ESBL-producing strains and risk factors for 30-day mortality in ECC-BSI patients. The results revealed that ESBL-negative ECC-BSI patients treated with BLICs exhibited significantly lower 30-day mortality compared to those treated with carbapenems. BLICs were found to be more effective in ECC-BSI patients with milder disease (ESBL-negative and SOFA ≤6.0).

Facial appearance associates with longitudinal multi-organ failure: an ICU cohort study

BackgroundFacial appearance, whether consciously or subconsciously assessed, may affect clinical assessment and treatment strategies in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Nevertheless, the association between objective clinical measurement of facial appearance and multi-organ failure is currently unknown. The objective of this study was to examine whether facial appearance at admission is associated with longitudinal evaluation of multi-organ failure.MethodsThis was a sub-study of the Simple Intensive Care Studies-II, a prospective observational cohort study. All adult patients acutely admitted to the ICU between March 26, 2019, and July 10, 2019, were included. Facial appearance was assessed within three hours of ICU admission using predefined pictograms. The SOFA score was serially measured each day for the first seven days after ICU admission. The association between the extent of eye-opening and facial skin colour with longitudinal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores was investigated using generalized estimation equations.ResultsSOFA scores were measured in 228 patients. Facial appearance scored by the extent of eye-opening was associated with a higher SOFA score at admission and follow-up (unadjusted 0.7 points per step (95%CI 0.5 to 0.9)). There was no association between facial skin colour and a worse SOFA score over time. However, patients with half-open or closed eyes along with flushed skin had a lower SOFA score than patients with a pale or normal facial skin colour (P-interaction < 0.1).ConclusionsThe scoring of patients’ facial cues, primarily the extent of eye-opening and facial colour, provided valuable insights into the disease state and progression of the disease of critically ill patients. The utilization of advanced monitoring techniques that incorporate facial appearance holds promise for enhancing future intensive care support.

Meropenem plus Ertapenem and Ceftazidime-Avibactam plus Aztreonam for the Treatment of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Caused by Pan-Drug Resistant Klebsiella pneumonia.

Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) account for about 70% of infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In recent years, pan-drug resistant (PDR) strains, strains that are not susceptible to any antibiotic, have been emerged and new treatment strategies are required. Fifty eligible patients were recruited in the three groups. A statistically significant reduction in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was observed in the control group on day 4 in comparison to day 0 of VAP (p = 0.005). The Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) was also reduced on day 4 (p = 0.0016) and day 7 in comparison to day 0 (p = 0.001). Patients that received combination therapy, CAZ-AVI + ATM and DCT, presented with a lower SOFA score and CPIS on day 7 in comparison to day 0 (p = 0.0288 and p = 0.037, respectively). No differences in the ΔSOFA score and ΔCPIS were found between the groups. The control group presented with a significantly lower ICU stay and duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). There was no difference in mortality. This is a retrospective analysis. This study was conducted in a mixed ICU in the University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece during a three-year period (2020-2022). Patients suffering from ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) due to carbapenem-resistant K. pneumonia (CR-KP) were divided in three different groups: the first one was treated using ceftazidime-avibactam plus aztreonam (CAZ-AVI + ATM group), the second was treated using double carbapenems (DCT group), and the last one (control group) received appropriate therapy since the strain was susceptible in vitro to at least to one antibiotic. Treatment with CAZ-AVI +ATM or DCT may offer a clinical benefit in patients suffering with infections due to PDR K. pneumoniae. Larger studies are required to confirm our findings.

Yoğun bakım ünitesinde lenfoma tanısı ile takip edilen hastalarda sağkalımı etkileyen faktörler

Purpose: This retrospective analysis aimed to elucidate the key factors influencing survival outcomes in patients diagnosed with lymphoma and admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). &#x0D; Materials and Methods: The study cohort comprised individuals aged 18 or older diagnosed with lymphoma and admitted to the ICU between November 2015 and February 2023. Data were collected on patients' demographic characteristics, primary hematological diagnoses, reasons for ICU admission, laboratory parameters, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, clinical trajectory, and 28-day mortality rates. Patients were stratified into two categories based on their mortality outcomes: Survivors and non-survivors.&#x0D; Results: A total of 165 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 52.41 ± 17.99 years; 63% were male. Table 1 summarizes the demographic characteristics, clinical trajectories, and 28-day mortality rates. The APACHE II and SOFA scores of the patients were 34 (7–53) and 12 (10–14), respectively. The predominant reasons for ICU admission were sepsis (58.2%) and acute respiratory failure (57.6%). Vasopressor necessity prior to and during ICU stay was 23.6% and 92.4%, respectively. During ICU monitoring, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury (AKI) were observed in 77.6% and 66.4% of patients, respectively; 10% required renal replacement therapy. The 28-day mortality rate was 84.8%. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with a SOFA score ≥ 9 had a significantly reduced survival time of 4.5 ± 0.4 days compared to those with lower SOFA scores (14.3 ± 2.6 days). Patients with AKI and those requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) exhibited reduced survival times of 4.7 ± 0.5 days and 5.6 ± 0.5 days, respectively. Elevated SOFA scores (HR 2.355, 95% CI 1.485–3.734), presence of AKI (HR 1.511, 95% CI 1.055–2.163), and the need for IMV (HR 5.721, 95% CI 1.377–23.770) were significantly correlated with increased 28-day mortality. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified the optimal SOFA cut-off point for predicting 28-day mortality as nine, with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.897, sensitivity 83.6% and specificity 92%.&#x0D; Conclusions: The findings of this study underscore the elevated mortality rates among lymphoma patients admitted to the ICU. Our data suggest that several factors serve as significant predictors of 28-day mortality in this patient population. Specifically, elevated APACHE II scores, SOFA scores, the presence of AKI, and the requirement for IMV emerged as crucial indicators associated with adverse survival outcomes. Consequently, these factors warrant meticulous monitoring and could inform targeted interventions to improve survival rates among lymphoma patients in critical care settings.

Differences in Mortality Among Patients With Asthma and COPD Hospitalized With COVID-19

It remains unclear whether patients with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Compare in-hospital COVID-19 outcomes among patients with asthma, COPD, and no airway disease. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 8,395 patients admitted with COVID-19 between March 2020 and April 2021. Airway disease diagnoses were defined using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Mortality and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were compared among groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify and adjust for confounding clinical features associated with mortality. The median SOFA score in patients without airway disease was 0.32 and mortality was 11%. In comparison, asthma patients had lower SOFA scores (median 0.15; P < .01) and decreased mortality, even after adjusting for age, diabetes, and other confounders (odds ratio 0.65; P= .01). Patients with COPD had higher SOFA scores (median 0.86; P < .01) and increased adjusted odds of mortality (odds ratio 1.40; P < .01). Blood eosinophil count of 200 cells/μL or greater, a marker of type 2 inflammation, was associated with lower mortality across all groups. Importantly, patients with asthma showed improved outcomes even after adjusting for eosinophilia, indicating that noneosinophilic asthma was associated with protection as well. COVID-19 severity was increased in patients with COPD and decreased in those with asthma, eosinophilia, and noneosinophilic asthma, independent of clinical confounders. These findings suggest that COVID-19 severity may be influenced by intrinsic immunological factors in patients with airway diseases, such as type 2 inflammation.

Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter spp Infection in Critically Ill Patients With Limited Treatment Options: A Descriptive Study of Cefiderocol Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections are difficult to treat and are a significant public health threat due to intrinsic/acquired resistance and limited treatment options. A retrospective, observational cohort study in patients receiving cefiderocol via Shionogi's early access program for Acinetobacter spp infections (1 April 2020-30 April 2021; 27 sites; Italy, Spain, Germany, France). Primary outcome was clinical success, defined as clinical resolution of infection at day 14 or day 28 survival. Overall, 147 patients were included. Primary infection sites were respiratory (65.3%) and bloodstream (unknown source [15.6%]; catheter-related [10.9%]); 24.5% of patients had polymicrobial infection. Of 136 patients in intensive care (92.5%), 85.3% (116/136) received mechanical ventilation. Septic shock (55.6% [70/126]) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (81.6%) were prevalent. Prior to cefiderocol, 85.0% of patients received gram-negative treatment, 61.2% received ≥2 antimicrobials, and most received colistin (58.5%; median duration, 11.5 days). Cefiderocol monotherapy was used in 30.6% of patients. Clinical success rate was 53.1% and was higher in patients without septic shock (62.5%), without COVID-19 (77.8%), and with lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores (quartile 1 [median, 3; range, 0-5]: 82.9%). Day 28 survival was 44.9% and was higher in patients without septic shock (60.7%), without COVID-19 (59.3%), with lower SOFA score (quartile 1: 82.9%), and receiving first-line cefiderocol (68.2% [15/22]). Resolution of infection at day 14 occurred in 39.5% of patients. Despite use in complex patients with limited treatment options and high septic shock/COVID-19 rates, cefiderocol treatment was associated with an overall clinical success rate of 53%.

Role of enteral metoprolol tartrate on hemodynamics and clinical outcomes of septic shock patients of various pretargeted heart rate groups

Introduction Although septic shock mortality has decreased lately due to better identification and timely application of therapies. Research has continued for 20 years, but no therapies have been discovered yet to change sepsis’s course once it is infected. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enteral metoprolol tartrate on hemodynamics and clinical outcomes in patients with septic shock grouped into various pretargeted heart rate (HR) groups. Methods Septic shock patients (n=90) were randomly assigned directly after the resuscitation into 3 groups (30 in each). Then, treatment with metoprolol tartrate was started. The dose of metoprolol was 25-150 mg every 12 h and increased gradually to reach the pretargeted HR group range; group A (HR = 60-70 beats/min), group B (HR = 71-80 beats/min), and group C (HR = 81-90 beats/min). Metoprolol was continued to maintain the targeted HR till either discharge form intensive care unit (ICU) or death. The primary outcomes measured were mean arterial pressure (MAP), mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), serum lactate, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Results After 1 day, group A (60-70 beats/min) had a significantly higher MAP (61.73±6.39 mmHg) than group B (51.33±7.76 mmHg) and group C (52.0±7.14 mmHg) (P &lt; 0.001). After 3 days, group A had a significantly improved SvO2, lower serum lactate, and lower SOFA score than the other groups (all P &lt; 0.05). When compared with groups B and C, group A had decreased norepinephrine (NE) requirements (P &lt; 0.001) and shorter ICU stay (P = 0.001). Conclusion Targeting HR between 60-70 beats/min using metoprolol tartrate, when compared with higher targets in septic shock after hemodynamic stabilization, was not associated with profound hypotension but also with earlier improved MAP, tissue perfusion measured as SvO2 and serum lactate, and organ failure measured as the SOFA score. It also showed decreased Norepinephrine requirements and a shorter ICU stay, but with no 28-day mortality benefit.

PRONE POSITIONING IN COVID-19 VS NON-COVID-19 ARDS IN THE EARLY COVID-19 PANDEMIC

PRONE POSITIONING IN COVID-19 VS NON-COVID-19 ARDS IN THE EARLY COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score in the ICU As a Predictor of Long-Term Survival After Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES:The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is a predictor of mortality in ICU patients. Although it is widely used and has been validated as a reliable and independent predictor of mortality and morbidity in cardiac ICU, few studies correlate early postoperative SOFA with long-term survival.DESIGN:Retrospective observational cohort study.SETTING:Tertiary academic cardiac surgery ICU.PATIENTS:One-thousand three-hundred seventy-nine patients submitted to cardiac surgery.INTERVENTIONS:SOFA 24 hours, SOFA 48 hours, mean, and highest SOFA scores were correlated with survival at 12 and 24 months. Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze differences in variables. Multivariate logistic regressions and likelihood ratio test were used to access the predictive modeling. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess accuracy of the variables in separating survivor from nonsurvivors.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Lower SOFA scores have better survival rates at 12 and 24 months. Highest SOFA and SOFA at 48 hours showed to be better predictors of outcome and to have higher accuracy in distinguishing survivors from nonsurvivors than initial SOFA and mean SOFA. A decreasing score during the first 48 hours had mortality rates of 4.9%, while an unchanged or increased score was associated with a mortality rate of 5.7%.CONCLUSIONS:SOFA score in the ICU after cardiac surgery correlated with survival at 12 and 24 months. Patients with lower SOFA scores had higher survival rates. Differences in survival at 12 months were better correlated with the absolute value at 48 hours than with its variation. SOFA score may be useful to predict long-term outcomes and to stratify patients with higher probability of mortality.

Increased 30-day mortality in very old ICU patients with COVID-19 compared to patients with respiratory failure without COVID-19.

PurposeThe number of patients ≥ 80 years admitted into critical care is increasing. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) added another challenge for clinical decisions for both admission and limitation of life-sustaining treatments (LLST). We aimed to compare the characteristics and mortality of very old critically ill patients with or without COVID-19 with a focus on LLST.MethodsPatients 80 years or older with acute respiratory failure were recruited from the VIP2 and COVIP studies. Baseline patient characteristics, interventions in intensive care unit (ICU) and outcomes (30-day survival) were recorded. COVID patients were matched to non-COVID patients based on the following factors: age (± 2 years), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (± 2 points), clinical frailty scale (± 1 point), gender and region on a 1:2 ratio. Specific ICU procedures and LLST were compared between the cohorts by means of cumulative incidence curves taking into account the competing risk of discharge and death.Results693 COVID patients were compared to 1393 non-COVID patients. COVID patients were younger, less frail, less severely ill with lower SOFA score, but were treated more often with invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) and had a lower 30-day survival. 404 COVID patients could be matched to 666 non-COVID patients. For COVID patients, withholding and withdrawing of LST were more frequent than for non-COVID and the 30-day survival was almost half compared to non-COVID patients.ConclusionVery old COVID patients have a different trajectory than non-COVID patients. Whether this finding is due to a decision policy with more active treatment limitation or to an inherent higher risk of death due to COVID-19 is unclear.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00134-022-06642-z.

A hypolipoprotein sepsis phenotype indicates reduced lipoprotein antioxidant capacity, increased endothelial dysfunction and organ failure, and worse clinical outcomes

ObjectiveApproximately one-third of sepsis patients experience poor outcomes including chronic critical illness (CCI, intensive care unit (ICU) stay > 14 days) or early death (in-hospital death within 14 days). We sought to characterize lipoprotein predictive ability for poor outcomes and contribution to sepsis heterogeneity.DesignProspective cohort study with independent replication cohort.SettingEmergency department and surgical ICU at two hospitals.PatientsSepsis patients presenting within 24 h.MethodsMeasures included cholesterol levels (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]), triglycerides, paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), and apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) in the first 24 h. Inflammatory and endothelial markers, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were also measured. LASSO selection assessed predictive ability for outcomes. Unsupervised clustering was used to investigate the contribution of lipid variation to sepsis heterogeneity.Measurements and main results172 patients were enrolled. Most (~ 67%, 114/172) rapidly recovered, while ~ 23% (41/172) developed CCI, and ~ 10% (17/172) had early death. ApoA-I, LDL-C, mechanical ventilation, vasopressor use, and Charlson Comorbidity Score were significant predictors of CCI/early death in LASSO models. Unsupervised clustering yielded two discernible phenotypes. The Hypolipoprotein phenotype was characterized by lower lipoprotein levels, increased endothelial dysfunction (ICAM-1), higher SOFA scores, and worse clinical outcomes (45% rapid recovery, 40% CCI, 16% early death; 28-day mortality, 21%). The Normolipoprotein cluster patients had higher cholesterol levels, less endothelial dysfunction, lower SOFA scores and better outcomes (79% rapid recovery, 15% CCI, 6% early death; 28-day mortality, 15%). Phenotypes were validated in an independent replication cohort (N = 86) with greater sepsis severity, which similarly demonstrated lower HDL-C, ApoA-I, and higher ICAM-1 in the Hypolipoprotein cluster and worse outcomes (46% rapid recovery, 23% CCI, 31% early death; 28-day mortality, 42%). Normolipoprotein patients in the replication cohort had better outcomes (55% rapid recovery, 32% CCI, 13% early death; 28-day mortality, 28%) Top features for cluster discrimination were HDL-C, ApoA-I, total SOFA score, total cholesterol level, and ICAM-1.ConclusionsLipoproteins predicted poor sepsis outcomes. A Hypolipoprotein sepsis phenotype was identified and characterized by lower lipoprotein levels, increased endothelial dysfunction (ICAM-1) and organ failure, and worse clinical outcomes.

414. Association of SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Load Trends with Clinical Status in COVID-19:A Retrospective Analysis from an Academic Hospital Center in New York City

BackgroundThe Infectious Diseases Society of America has identified the potential use of SARS-CoV-2 genomic load for prognostication purposes as a key research question.MethodsWe designed a retrospective cohort study that included adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who had at least 2 positive nasopharyngeal tests at least 24 hours apart to study the correlation between the change in the genomic load of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples, as reflected by the Cycle threshold (Ct) value of the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, with change in clinical status. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was used as a surrogate for patients’ clinical status. A linear mixed-effects regression analysis was performed.ResultsAmong 457 patients who presented to the emergency department between 3/31/2020- 4/10/2020, we identified 42 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The median initial SOFA score was 2 (IQR 2–3). 20 out of 42 patients had a lower SOFA score on their subsequent tests. We identified a statistically significant inverse correlation between the change in SOFA score and change in the Ct value with a decrease in SOFA score by 0.05 (SE 0.02; p < 0.05) for an increase in Ct values by 1. This correlation was independent of the duration of symptoms.Flow chart A graph of the Cycle Threshold (Ct) values of the of Cepheid Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay measured on repeat screening of the 42 included patients. Graph of the fitted SOFA scores based on the Cycle Threshold values per patient. ConclusionOur findings suggest that an increasing Ct value in sequential tests may be of prognostic value for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. Before repeat testing can be recommended routinely in clinical practice as a predictor of disease outcomes, prospective studies with a standardized interval between repeat tests should confirm our findings.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Association of SARS-CoV-2 genomic load trends with clinical status in COVID-19: A retrospective analysis from an academic hospital center in New York City.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America has identified the use of SARS-CoV-2 genomic load for prognostication purposes as a key research question. We designed a retrospective cohort study that included adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who had at least 2 positive nasopharyngeal tests at least 24 hours apart to study the correlation between the change in the genomic load of SARS-CoV-2, as reflected by the Cycle threshold (Ct) value of the RT-PCR, with change in clinical status. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was used as a surrogate for patients’ clinical status. Among 457 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia between 3/31/2020-4/10/2020, we identified 42 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The median initial SOFA score was 2 (IQR 2–3). 20 out of 42 patients had a lower SOFA score on their subsequent tests. We identified a statistically significant inverse correlation between the change in SOFA score and change in the Ct value with a decrease in SOFA score by 0.05 (SE 0.02; p<0.05) for an increase in Ct values by 1. This correlation was independent of the duration of symptoms. Our findings suggest that an increasing Ct value in sequential tests may be of prognostic value for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia.

The Association Between Pressure Ulcer/Injury Development and Short-term Mortality in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The aim of this retrospective study was to examine the association between PU/I development and mortality in a large cohort of consecutively admitted critically ill patients. Data from adult patients ( >18 years of age) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) between 2010 and 2013 were extracted from the ICU electronic clinical information system. Patients were excluded if they had a PU/I present on admission, no recorded admission modified Jackson/Cubbin (mJ/C) or Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, or their ICU outcome was undetermined. The mJ/C risk scale (score range 9-48) was used to assess the PU/I risk (the lower the score, the higher the PU/I risk), the SOFA score (score range 0-24; the higher the SOFA score, the sicker the patient, with a higher risk of death) was used to assess the severity of the condition and outcome. ICU outcome was defined as 1) moved from the ICU to a ward/recovering or 2) no response to ICU treatment/deceased. All data were transferred to statistical software for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the outcome related to PU/I development, SOFA, and mJ/C scores. Descriptive contingency tables of different scenarios were used to further evaluate relationships among different risk factors related to mortality; the Wald χ2 test was used to assess the statistical significance of the contingency tables. Of the 6582 patients admitted, 6089 were included for analysis. Two hundred, one (201) had a PU/In on admission, 212 had missing mJ/C or SOFA scores, and ICU outcome was undetermined in 80 patients. Patient mean age was 61.1 ± 15.8 (range 18-94) years; 3891 (63.9%) were male, average length of stay (LOS) was 3.6 days, denoted by quartile (Q) (median 1.58 days; Q1: 0.9, Q3: 3.9 days), and 1589 (26.1%) stayed 3 days or more in the ICU. The incidence of PU/I was 6.9% (423 patients), and ICU mortality rate was 9.1% (n=553). The mean LOS of patients with PU/I was 13.35 ± 15.56 days (median 8.95, Q1: 4.88, Q3: 16.2) and 2.84 ± 3.87 days for patients with no PU/I (median: 1.20, Q1: 0.90, Q3: 3.17; P <.0001). Mean LOS was 3.42 ± 5.95 days (median: 1.30, Q1: 0.90, Q3: 3.70) among recovering and 5.00 ± 7.17 days among deceased patients (median 2.56, Q1: 1.26, Q3: 6.40; P <.0001). The proportion of patients with an admission mJ/C score of 29 or less ranged from 48.8% to 51.5%, and the mean SOFA score was 7.0 ± 3.2. PU/I development and SOFA or mJ/C scores were independent predictors of mortality. The probability of a negative outcome was higher in persons with PU/Is compared to persons with no PU/Is. Persons with lower SOFA scores (ie, less severely ill patients) and higher mJ/C scores for each factor separately (ie, at low risk of PU/I development) each factor separately had a lower mortality risk. PU/I development in critically ill patients treated at an ICU is an independent predictor of mortality, even though the PU/I incidence and hospital mortality were relatively low. The ICU admission SOFA and mJ/C score also were independent prognosticators of ICU mortality. Future research could focus on the role of different steps in the cascade of PU/I development, especially to the role of inflammation.

856. Impact of Early Discontinuation of Antimicrobial Therapy on Survival in Culture-Negative Clinically Suspected Serious Infection: An Electronic Health Record-Based Analysis From 111 US Hospitals

BackgroundUp to 40% of inpatients started on antibiotics for suspected infection have negative cultures from all tested body sites. The optimal duration of treatment for these patients is unknown.MethodsAdults admitted to 111 hospitals between 2009 and 2015 with clinically suspected serious infection but negative cultures were identified. We deemed patients to have clinically suspected serious infection if blood cultures were drawn on hospital day 1 or 2 and IV or PO antibiotics were initiated on the day of or after blood culture draw and continued for ≥3 days. We compared outcomes for patients treated with 3–4 vs. ≥5 days of antibiotics. We excluded patients on vasopressors beyond day 2. We calculated odds ratios for in-hospital mortality (including discharge to hospice), C. difficile infection (CDI), subsequent sepsis, and antibiotic restarts >1 day after discontinuation using logistic regression, adjusting for age, race, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and several co-morbidities; findings were confirmed by determining the average treatment effect on the treated (ATET) using propensity matching.ResultsWe identified 179,421 patients with clinically suspected serious infection. Of these, 71,786 (40%) had all negative cultures; 26,437 (37%) were treated with 3–4 days of antibiotics; and 45,349 (63%) were treated with ≥5 days. Patients treated with shorter courses were younger, had lower SOFA scores, and were less likely to have concomitant sepsis. There was no difference in mortality for short vs. long course treatment (4.7% vs. 6.5%, aOR 1.01 [95% CI 0.93–1.11]; ATET=1.002 [0.998–1.006]; P = 0.46). Patients treated with short courses were less likely to develop CDI (aOR 0.55 [0.47–0.66]) or subsequent sepsis (aOR 0.26, 0.17–0.41) but more likely to have antibiotic restarts (3.9% vs. 3.6% aOR 1.53 [1.35–1.73]). Mortality was lower, however, amongst patients with antibiotic restarts who initially received short (vs. long) courses (aOR 0.76 [0.57–1.00]).ConclusionWe found no difference in mortality for patients with culture-negative clinically suspected serious infection treated with 3–4 days vs. ≥5 days. Patients treated with short courses had less CDI and sepsis after discontinuation of antibiotics but higher rates of antibiotic restarts. A randomized, controlled trial is warranted to confirm or refute these findings. Disclosures R. Laxminarayan, Merck: Board Member, Educational grant.

Predictive Factors of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Caused by Gram-Positive Bacteria in Patients With Cirrhosis.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis is typically caused by gram-negative bacteria. However, the number of SBP cases due to gram-positive bacteria is steadily increasing. To date, little is known about the predictive factors involved in SBP infections.We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients (>18 years) with SBP due to gram-positive and -negative bacteria who were enrolled from January 2006 to December 2013 at Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea where the incidences of hepatitis B virus associated chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma are high. Only the 1st SBP episode for each patient within the study period was included in our analysis.We identified 77 patients with cirrhosis and SBP. Of these, 27 patients (35%) had gram-positive bacterial infections and 50 patients (65%) had gram-negative bacterial infections. Our univariate analysis revealed that an early stage of cirrhosis (P = 0.004), lower creatinine level (P = 0.011), lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (P = 0.001), lower Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (P = 0.005), and use of systemic antibiotics within 30 days before SBP diagnosis (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with gram-positive bacterial infections. Our multivariate analysis indicated that the use of systemic antibiotics within 30 days before SBP diagnosis (odds ratio, 3.94; 95% CI, 1.11–13.96; P = 0.033) and a lower SOFA score (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37–0.86; P = 0.007) were independent predictive factors of SBP caused by gram-positive bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis. However, we did not observe a statistically significant difference in the 28-day mortality between the gram-positive and -negative bacterial infection groups (40.7% vs 46.0%, respectively; P = 0.407).In this study, the incidence rate of SBP caused by gram-positive bacteria in patients with cirrhosis was similar to the rates reported in recently published studies. Furthermore, the use of systemic antibiotics within 30 days before SBP diagnosis and a lower SOFA score were significantly associated with SBP caused by gram-positive bacteria in patients with cirrhosis.

Hospital Outcomes for Patients with Stage III and IV Lung Cancer Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for Sepsis-Related Acute Respiratory Failure

In recent years, intensive care for cancer patients has improved and treatment of critically ill cancer patients has become increasingly aggressive over time. However, not all cancer patients would benefit from aggressive care, especially those with late-stage cancer. We aimed to investigate the outcome of late-stage lung cancer patients with sepsis-related respiratory failure and identify predictors of mortality. From 2007 to 2008, consecutive stage III and IV lung cancer patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) of a teritiary medical center in Taiwan for sepsis-related respiratory failure were retrospectively enrolled. Data at baseline and upon ICU admission were collected. In-hospital survival was analyzed. Variables of the survivors to hospital discharge and patients who died were compared by uni- and multivariate analyses. Seventy patients were enrolled. During a mean follow-up period of 30.10 days, 29 (41.4%) patients survived to hospital discharge and 41(58.6%) died. Compared with the survivors, the patients who died had poor performance status, lower serum albumin level, higher percentage of disseminated intravascular coagulation, and more severe organ dysfunction as disclosed by higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. Multivariate analyses revealed that SOFA score (p=0.026) was the only independent predictor of mortality; 44.8 % (13/29) of survivors were weaned from ventilator during hospitalization. Among late-stage lung cancer patients with sepsis-related respiratory failure, those with lower SOFA scores seemed to have better survival rate and may benefit from intensive care in the ICU. Early palliative care should be considered for all patients with advanced lung cancer, and hospice care is suggested for those with sepsis-respiratory failure and high SOFA scores.

Assessment of SOFA Score as a Diagnostic Indicator in Intensive Care Medicine

Abstract Intensive care unit mortality is strongly associated with organ failure rate and severity. The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score is assessed to evaluate its efficacy as a diagnostic indicator. Statistical analyses investigate the SOFA score distributions in the days leading up to patient mortality and patient discharge. It is found that the SOFA score is not an effective predictor of patient mortality, but it is a useful tool for prediction of patient discharge from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The distribution of overall SOFA score was observed not to change notably in the days leading up to patient death. However, the SOFA score distribution was observed to have a trend towards lower SOFA scores in the days leading up to patient discharge. Finally, assessment of the individual components of the overall SOFA score indicated that the coagulation and cardiovascular scores showed the highest correlation to mortality and are therefore the most useful individual groups to be used as diagnostic indicators.

Thromboelastometry for the assessment of coagulation abnormalities in early and established adult sepsis: a prospective cohort study

IntroductionThe inflammatory response to an invading pathogen in sepsis leads to complex alterations in hemostasis by dysregulation of procoagulant and anticoagulant factors. Recent treatment options to correct these abnormalities in patients with sepsis and organ dysfunction have yielded conflicting results. Using thromboelastometry (ROTEM®), we assessed the course of hemostatic alterations in patients with sepsis and related these alterations to the severity of organ dysfunction.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 30 consecutive critically ill patients with sepsis admitted to a 30-bed multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU). Hemostasis was analyzed with routine clotting tests as well as thromboelastometry every 12 hours for the first 48 hours, and at discharge from the ICU. Organ dysfunction was quantified using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score.ResultsSimplified Acute Physiology Score II and SOFA scores at ICU admission were 52 ± 15 and 9 ± 4, respectively. During the ICU stay the clotting time decreased from 65 ± 8 seconds to 57 ± 5 seconds (P = 0.021) and clot formation time (CFT) from 97 ± 63 seconds to 63 ± 31 seconds (P = 0.017), whereas maximal clot firmness (MCF) increased from 62 ± 11 mm to 67 ± 9 mm (P = 0.035). Classification by SOFA score revealed that CFT was slower (P = 0.017) and MCF weaker (P = 0.005) in patients with more severe organ failure (SOFA ≥ 10, CFT 125 ± 76 seconds, and MCF 57 ± 11 mm) as compared with patients who had lower SOFA scores (SOFA <10, CFT 69 ± 27, and MCF 68 ± 8). Along with increasing coagulation factor activity, the initially increased International Normalized Ratio (INR) and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) corrected over time.ConclusionsKey variables of ROTEM® remained within the reference ranges during the phase of critical illness in this cohort of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock without bleeding complications. Improved organ dysfunction upon discharge from the ICU was associated with shortened coagulation time, accelerated clot formation, and increased firmness of the formed blood clot when compared with values on admission. With increased severity of illness, changes of ROTEM® variables were more pronounced.