High-Density Lipoprotein, Mean Platelet Volume, and Uric Acid as Biomarkers for Outcomes in Patients With Sepsis: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: We conducted an observational study evaluating the association between uric acid, mean platelet volume (MPV), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) with complications and outcomes of patients with sepsis in a critical care setting. METHODS: We followed patients with a diagnosis of severe sepsis and septic shock for a maximum of 28 days. Main outcomes assessed included length of stay (LOS), the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT), assisted mechanical ventilation (AMV), and vasopressor support as well as in-unit mortality. RESULTS: The overall average age of the 37 patients enrolled was 48.1 (19.8) years; among them, 37.8% were male. Abdominal related (43.2%) and pulmonary (29.7%) were the main sites of infection. The overall Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation 2 (APACHE-2) median score was 19 (9-24). Acute kidney injury (AKI) was observed in 46.9% of the sample. In all, 54.1% required vasopressor support, 54.1% AMV, and 35.1% RRT. Patients with bacteremia were significantly more likely to require vasopressor support and those with urinary tract infections were significantly younger. We found increasing ΔMPV levels, higher APACHE-2 scores, lower HDL values, and a reduced age to be associated with a longer LOS. Higher scores on the APACHE-2 scale and lower levels of HDL significantly associated with higher odds for developing AKI. The need for vasopressor support was significantly associated with higher values of 72-hour MPV and with higher levels of baseline uric acid and lower values of initial HCO3. Initial and 72-hour levels of MPV and higher scores in the APACHE-2 were all significantly correlated with the need for AMV. An increased probability of dying during follow-up was significantly correlated with increasing age. CONCLUSION: We were able to establish significant associations between our candidate biomarkers and relevant outcomes for patients with sepsis. Our results support the use of these low-cost biomarkers in the assessment of prognosis of patients with sepsis.

Epidemiology of Stroke in Costa Rica: A 7-Year Hospital-Based Acute Stroke Registry of 1319 Consecutive Patients.

BACKGROUND: Limited data on stroke exist for Costa Rica. Therefore, we created a stroke registry out of patients with stroke seen in the Acute Stroke Unit of the Hospital Calderon Guardia. METHODS: We analyzed 1319 patients enrolled over a 7-year period, which incorporated demographic, clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging data. RESULTS: The mean age of patients with stroke was 68.0 ± 15.5 years. Seven hundred twenty-five were men and the age range was 13-104 years. The most prevalent risk factors were hypertension (78.8%), dyslipidemia (36.3%), and diabetes (31.9%). Fifteen percent had atrial fibrillation and 24.7% had a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack. Prevalence of hypertension and atrial fibrillation increased with age; however, younger patients were more associated with thrombophilia. We documented 962 (72.9%) ischemic and 270 (20.5%) hemorrhagic strokes. Of the ischemic strokes, 174 (18.1%) were considered secondary to large-artery atherothrombosis, 175 (18.2%) were due to cardiac embolism, 19 (2.0%) were due to lacunar infarcts, and 25 (2.6%) were due to other determined causes. Five hundred sixty-nine (59.1%) remained undetermined. Atherothrombotic strokes were mostly associated with dyslipidemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, whereas lacunar infarcts were associated with hypertension, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack. Of our patients, 69.9% scored between 0 and 9 in the initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). CONCLUSIONS: We found differences in sociodemographic features, risk factors, and stroke severity among stroke subtypes. Risk factor prevalence was similar to other registries involving Hispanic populations.