Episodes Of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Research Articles

1334. Performance of C-Reactive Protein and Procalcitonin in Immunocompromised Children with SIRS

BackgroundBiomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP], procalcitonin [PCT]) have been used in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to identify those with and without bacterial infection. However, their performance in immunocompromised (IC) children is not well studied.MethodsRetrospective chart review of episodes of SIRS in IC children <19 years old admitted to the PICU August 2012–June 2016 with: (a) blood culture, PCT, and CRP obtained within 6 hours of SIRS, (b) no recent SIRS episodes (> 30 days), and (c) no positive blood culture in 2 days preceding SIRS. We defined IC as neutropenia (ANC< 500), solid-organ transplant (SOT), hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), and other (immunosuppressive medications or primary immunodeficiency). To identify a comparator group, we additionally reviewed a previously published cohort of non-IC children with SIRS (Downes, et al, JPIDS 2018), applying the same inclusion criteria. For each episode (first 48 hours after SIRS), we determined the presence of bacterial infection using NHSN definitions and viral infection as symptoms with positive PCR. We compared biomarkers in IC children with and without bacterial infection, and in IC and non-IC children, using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.ResultsWe identified 108 SIRS episodes in 94 IC children (neutropenia = 35, SOT = 18, HCT = 22, other = 33) and 278 episodes in 250 non-IC children. Age (P = 0.15) and gender (P = 0.70) were similar among IC and non-IC groups. 41% of episodes in both IC and non-IC children had bacterial infections (P = 0.96). PCT and CRP were significantly higher in IC children with bacterial infection than those without (Figure 1). Biomarkers did not differ significantly among episodes in IC and non-IC children with bacterial infection; however, among episodes without bacterial infection, biomarkers were higher in IC than non-IC children (Table 1). Detection of a viral infection did not affect biomarker values in IC or non-IC children when bacterial infection was absent (Table 2).ConclusionIn IC children with SIRS, PCT and CRP were higher when bacterial infection was present. Meanwhile, in the subset of non-bacterial SIRS episodes, biomarkers were higher in IC compared with non-IC children. PCT and CRP may be valuable markers to discriminate bacterial from non-bacterial causes of SIRS in IC children. DisclosuresKevin J. Downes, MD, Merck: Grant/Research Support, Research Grant; Pfizer: Grant/Research Support.

Implementation of a Pragmatic Biomarker-Driven Algorithm to Guide Antibiotic Use in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: the Optimizing Antibiotic Strategies in Sepsis (OASIS) II Study.

Biomarkers can facilitate safe antibiotic discontinuation in critically ill patients without bacterial infection. We tested the ability of a biomarker-based algorithm to reduce excess antibiotic administration in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) without bacterial infections (uninfected) in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The algorithm suggested that PICU clinicians stop antibiotics if (1) C-reactive protein <4 mg/dL and procalcitonin <1 ng/mL at SIRS onset and (2) no evidence of bacterial infection by exam/testing by 48 hours. We evaluated excess broad-spectrum antibiotic use, defined as administration on days 3-9 after SIRS onset in uninfected children. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) compared unadjusted excess length of therapy (LOT) in the 34 months before (Period 1) and 12 months after (Period 2) implementation of this algorithm, stratified by biomarker values. Segmented linear regression evaluated excess LOT among all uninfected episodes over time and between the periods. We identified 457 eligible SIRS episodes without bacterial infection, 333 in Period 1 and 124 in Period 2. When both biomarkers were below the algorithm's cut-points (n = 48 Period 1, n = 31 Period 2), unadjusted excess LOT was lower in Period 2 (IRR, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.93). Among all 457 uninfected episodes, there were no significant differences in LOT (coefficient 0.9, P = .99) between the periods on segmented regression. Implementation of a biomarker-based algorithm did not decrease overall antibiotic exposure among all uninfected patients in our PICU, although exposures were reduced in the subset of SIRS episodes where biomarkers were low.

Steroid Therapy Attenuates Acute Phase Reactant Response Among Children on Ventricular Assist Device Support

Hyperfibrinogenemia, which can create a procoagulant milieu, is frequently observed in patients supported with the Berlin EXCOR (Berlin Heart GmbH, Berlin, Germany) ventricular assist device (VAD). We began initiating corticosteroids in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) episodes to mitigate hyperfibrinogenemia. We set forth to describe the impact of corticosteroids on the hyperfibrinogenemic state in our institutional experience. Retrospective data was collected on 44 consecutive patients implanted with the Berlin EXCOR VAD from April 15, 2005 through May 6, 2013. Pertinent information was abstracted from the electronic medical record. The reduction of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen levels among days from corticosteroid treatment were described. Infections and insulin use were reported based on whether patients received steroids and if steroids were given for SIRS. Over the initial 44 Berlin EXCOR VAD implantations, 14 patients were treated with 21 courses of corticosteroids for SIRS episodes as identified by clinical features and rise in CRP. Treatment with corticosteroids reduced fibrinogen levels by day 2 to a statistically significant degree (p= 0.008). No difference in hyperglycemia or infections occurred among patients receiving corticosteroids for SIRS. Treatment with corticosteroids can potentially mitigate the SIRS response among children supported on the Berlin EXCOR VAD. In patients who received corticosteroids to mitigate inflammation, there was no increase in infections or hyperglycemia requiring insulin administration compared with patients who did not receive steroids.

The Utility of Serum Procalcitonin in Distinguishing Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome from Infection After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) occurs frequently after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). It is a clinical challenge to distinguish between SIRS and incipient infection. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been studied among general critical care patients as a biomarker for infection. We hypothesized that PCT could be useful to distinguish SIRS from sepsis in aSAH patients. Prospective, observational study conducted in the multidisciplinary intensive care unit at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL between August 2009 and September 2010. Main predictor was serum PCT obtained on admission and with subsequent episodes of SIRS. A level of 0.2 ng/mL or higher was considered as elevated PCT. Main outcome was clinical infection, which was subsequently subcategorized into major (systemic) and minor (localized) infections in the sensitivity analysis. Forty consecutive patients were enrolled. Majority (88 %) developed SIRS during the hospitalization. Infection developed in 16 (40 %) patients, with 6 patients meeting criteria for major infection. Overall, PCT was found to be highly specific for all infections and the subcategory of major infections (97 and 93 %, respectively) with related high negative predictive values. Odds ratio for elevated PCT with clinical infections ranged from 25.2 (95 % CI 2.7-233) to 33.3 (95 % CI 4.3-261) for all and major infections, respectively. Related receiver operating characteristic curves for elevated PCT were 0.74 and 0.96 for all and major infections, respectively. Procalcitonin of 0.2 ng/mL or greater was demonstrated to be very specific for sepsis among patients with aSAH. Further studies should validate this result and establish its clinical applicability.

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome as a predictor of bacteraemia and outcome from sepsis.

Criteria defining the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were used to assess prospectively 270 clinical episodes in which blood cultures were taken from patients in general medicine. SIRS, severe sepsis and septic shock occurred in 149 (55%), 13 (5%) and 9 (3%) episodes, respectively. However, evidence of organ hypoperfusion indicating severe sepsis was recorded as sought in only 26% of episodes of SIRS. Crude mortality at 28 days increased sequentially as more SIRS criteria were met, rising from 12% in non-SIRS blood culture episodes, to 36% when all four criteria were met. Mortality from severe sepsis and septic shock was 38% and 56%, respectively. In 61/64 (95%) episodes of clinically important bacteraemia, patients fulfilled SIRS criteria when the blood culture was taken. However, the positive predictive value of SIRS for predicting bacteraemia was only 7%. Patients who did not fulfil SIRS criteria when blood cultures were taken were at low risk of bacteraemia and comprised 45% (121/270) of the study population. Three patients in this low-risk group had bacteraemia. Mortality in bacteraemic patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who were initially treated with ineffective antibiotics for up to 48 h was 80%, compared to 42% in those always treated appropriately.