COAGULOPATHY PARAMETERS PREDICTIVE OF OUTCOMES IN SEPSIS-INDUCED ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME: A SUBANALYSIS OF THE TWO PROSPECTIVE MULTICENTER COHORT STUDIES.

ABSTRACT: Background: Although coagulopathy is often observed in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), its clinical impact remains poorly understood. Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the coagulopathy parameters that are clinically applicable for prognostication and to determine anticoagulant indications in sepsis-induced ARDS. Method: This study enrolled patients with sepsis-derived ARDS from two nationwide multicenter, prospective observational studies. We explored coagulopathy parameters that could predict outcomes in the Focused Outcome Research on Emergency Care for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis, and Trauma (FORECAST) cohort, and the defined coagulopathy criteria were validated in the Sepsis Prognostication in Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Room-Intensive Care Unit (SPICE-ICU) cohort. The correlation between anticoagulant use and outcomes was also evaluated. Results: A total of 181 patients with sepsis-derived ARDS in the FORECAST study and 61 patients in the SPICE-ICU study were included. In a preliminary study, we found the set of prothrombin time-international normalized ratio ≥1.4 and platelet count ≤12 × 10 4 /µL, and thrombocytopenia and elongated prothrombin time (TEP) coagulopathy as the best coagulopathy parameters and used it for further analysis; the odds ratio (OR) of TEP coagulopathy for in-hospital mortality adjusted for confounding was 3.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66-8.87; P = 0.005). In the validation cohort, the adjusted OR for in-hospital mortality was 32.99 (95% CI, 2.60-418.72; P = 0.002). Although patients without TEP coagulopathy showed significant improvements in oxygenation over the first 4 days, patients with TEP coagulopathy showed no significant improvement (ΔPaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio, 24 ± 20 vs. 90 ± 9; P = 0.026). Furthermore, anticoagulant use was significantly correlated with mortality and oxygenation recovery in patients with TEP coagulopathy but not in patients without TEP coagulopathy. Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia and elongated prothrombin time coagulopathy is closely associated with better outcomes and responses to anticoagulant therapy in sepsis-induced ARDS, and our coagulopathy criteria may be clinically useful.

Age-related differences in the survival benefit of the administration of antithrombin, recombinant human thrombomodulin, or their combination in sepsis.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is one of the major organ dysfunctions associated with sepsis. This retrospective secondary analysis comprised data from a prospective multicenter study to investigate the age-related differences in the survival benefit of anticoagulant therapy in sepsis according to the DIC diagnostic criteria. Adult patients with severe sepsis based on the Sepsis-2 criteria were enrolled and divided into the following groups: (1) anticoagulant group (patients who received anticoagulant therapy) and (2) non-anticoagulant group (patients who did not receive anticoagulant therapy). Patients in the former group were administered antithrombin, recombinant human thrombomodulin, or their combination. The increases in the risk of hospital mortality were suppressed in the high-DIC-score patients aged 60-70 years receiving anticoagulant therapy. No favorable association of anti-coagulant therapy with hospital mortality was observed in patients aged 50 years and 80 years. Furthermore, anticoagulant therapy in the lower-DIC-score range increased the risk of hospital mortality in patients aged 50-60 years. In conclusion, anticoagulant therapy was associated with decreased hospital mortality according to a higher DIC score in septic patients aged 60-70 years. Anticoagulant therapy, however, was not associated with a better outcome in relatively younger and older patients with sepsis.

Hour-1 bundle adherence was associated with reduction of in-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The updated Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines recommend a 1-hour window for completion of a sepsis care bundle; however, the effectiveness of the hour-1 bundle has not been fully evaluated. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of hour-1 bundle completion on clinical outcomes in sepsis patients. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted in 17 intensive care units in tertiary hospitals in Japan. We included all adult patients who were diagnosed as having sepsis by Sepsis-3 and admitted to intensive care units from July 2019 to August 2020. Impacts of hour-1 bundle adherence and delay of adherence on risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality were estimated by multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The final study cohort included 178 patients with sepsis. Among them, 89 received bundle-adherent care. Completion rates of each component (measure lactate level, obtain blood cultures, administer broad-spectrum antibiotics, administer crystalloid, apply vasopressors) within 1 hour were 98.9%, 86.2%, 51.1%, 94.9%, and 69.1%, respectively. Completion rate of all components within 1 hour was 50%. In-hospital mortality was 18.0% in the patients with and 30.3% in the patients without bundle-adherent care (p = 0.054). The adjusted odds ratio of non-bundle-adherent versus bundle-adherent care for in-hospital mortality was 2.32 (95% CI 1.09-4.95) using propensity scoring. Non-adherence to obtaining blood cultures and administering broad-spectrum antibiotics within 1 hour was related to in-hospital mortality (2.65 [95% CI 1.25-5.62] and 4.81 [95% CI 1.38-16.72], respectively). The adjusted odds ratio for 1-hour delay in achieving hour-1 bundle components for in-hospital mortality was 1.28 (95% CI 1.04-1.57) by logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Completion of the hour-1 bundle was associated with lower in-hospital mortality. Obtaining blood cultures and administering antibiotics within 1 hour may have been the components most contributing to decreased in-hospital mortality.

Incidence and Impact of Dysglycemia in Patients with Sepsis Under Moderate Glycemic Control.

ABSTRACT: Glycemic control strategies for sepsis have changed significantly over the last decade, but their impact on dysglycemia and its associated outcomes has been poorly understood. In addition, there is controversy regarding the detrimental effects of hyperglycemia in sepsis. To evaluate the incidence and risks of dysglycemia under current strategy, we conducted a preplanned subanalysis of the sepsis cohort in a prospective, multicenter FORECAST study. A total of 1,140 patients with severe sepsis, including 259 patients with pre-existing diabetes, were included. Median blood glucose levels were approximately 140 mg/dL at 0 and 72 h indicating that blood glucose was moderately controlled. The rate of initial and late hyperglycemia was 27.3% and 21.7%, respectively. The rate of early hypoglycemic episodes during the initial 24 h was 13.2%. Glycemic control was accompanied by a higher percentage of initial and late hyperglycemia but not with early hypoglycemic episodes, suggesting that glycemic control was targeted at excess hyperglycemia. In nondiabetic patients, late hyperglycemia (hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval; P value: 1.816, 1.116-2.955, 0.016) and early hypoglycemic episodes (1.936, 1.180-3.175, 0.009) were positively associated with in-hospital mortality. Further subgroup analysis suggested that late hyperglycemia and early hypoglycemic episodes independently, and probably synergistically, affect the outcomes. In diabetic patients, however, these correlations were not observed. In conclusion, a significantly high incidence of dysglycemia was observed in our sepsis cohort under moderate glycemic control. Late hyperglycemia in addition to early hypoglycemia was associated with poor outcomes at least in nondiabetic patients. More sophisticated approaches are necessary to reduce the incidence of these serious complications.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation immediately after trauma predicts a poor prognosis in severely injured patients.

Trauma patients die from massive bleeding due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) with a fibrinolytic phenotype in the early phase, which transforms to DIC with a thrombotic phenotype in the late phase of trauma, contributing to the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and a consequently poor outcome. This is a sub-analysis of a multicenter prospective descriptive cross-sectional study on DIC to evaluate the effect of a DIC diagnosis on the survival probability and predictive performance of DIC scores for massive transfusion, MODS, and hospital death in severely injured trauma patients. A DIC diagnosis on admission was associated with a lower survival probability (Log Rank P < 0.001), higher frequency of massive transfusion and MODS and a higher mortality rate than no such diagnosis. The DIC scores at 0 and 3 h significantly predicted massive transfusion, MODS, and hospital death. Markers of thrombin and plasmin generation and fibrinolysis inhibition also showed a good predictive ability for these three items. In conclusion, a DIC diagnosis on admission was associated with a low survival probability. DIC scores obtained immediately after trauma predicted a poor prognosis of severely injured trauma patients.

Hyperoxemia during resuscitation of trauma patients and increased intensive care unit length of stay: inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis.

BACKGROUND: Information on hyperoxemia among patients with trauma has been limited, other than traumatic brain injuries. This study aimed to elucidate whether hyperoxemia during resuscitation of patients with trauma was associated with unfavorable outcomes. METHODS: A post hoc analysis of a prospective observational study was carried out at 39 tertiary hospitals in 2016-2018 in adult patients with trauma and injury severity score (ISS) of > 15. Hyperoxemia during resuscitation was defined as PaO2 of ≥ 300 mmHg on hospital arrival and/or 3 h after arrival. Intensive care unit (ICU)-free days were compared between patients with and without hyperoxemia. An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPW) analysis was conducted to adjust patient characteristics including age, injury mechanism, comorbidities, vital signs on presentation, chest injury severity, and ISS. Analyses were stratified with intubation status at the emergency department (ED). The association between biomarkers and ICU length of stay were then analyzed with multivariate models. RESULTS: Among 295 severely injured trauma patients registered, 240 were eligible for analysis. Patients in the hyperoxemia group (n = 58) had shorter ICU-free days than those in the non-hyperoxemia group [17 (10-21) vs 23 (16-26), p < 0.001]. IPW analysis revealed the association between hyperoxemia and prolonged ICU stay among patients not intubated at the ED [ICU-free days = 16 (12-22) vs 23 (19-26), p = 0.004], but not among those intubated at the ED [18 (9-20) vs 15 (8-23), p = 0.777]. In the hyperoxemia group, high inflammatory markers such as soluble RAGE and HMGB-1, as well as low lung-protective proteins such as surfactant protein D and Clara cell secretory protein, were associated with prolonged ICU stay. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperoxemia until 3 h after hospital arrival was associated with prolonged ICU stay among severely injured trauma patients not intubated at the ED. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-CTR, UMIN000019588 . Registered on November 15, 2015.

Good recovery without decompression fasciotomy for crush syndrome caused by using a Japanese-style toilet.

We report a case of crush syndrome that developed while the patient was squatting to use a Japanese-style toilet. The patient was a 61-year-old male with an obese body. He was sitting on the toilet and couldn't stand up, and after a few hours, the landlord found him and called the emergency services. On presentation, the patient was hyperkalemic and in shock, and his serum creatine kinase levels rose to a maximum of 287,600 U/L. He was diagnosed with postural crush syndrome in both lower extremities due to squatting position in a Japanese-style toilet. Subjective symptoms, physical examination, and blood tests were monitored and the patient was observed. As a result, the patient could be treated conservatively without fasciotomy. Dialysis was not necessary because the fluid infusion maintained adequate urine output and corrected the hyperkalemia. Magnetic resonance imaging of both lower extremities showed multiple high-signal areas in the muscles of the bilateral thighs and lower legs. This case suggested that if the wound is closed, the peripheral pulse is palpable, and the patient's symptoms have improved, a fasciotomy should not be performed. People who are too heavy to squat may need to be careful when using this kind of toilet.

Predictors of severe sepsis-related in-hospital mortality based on a multicenter cohort study: The Focused Outcomes Research in Emergency Care in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis, and Trauma study.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for severe sepsis-related in-hospital mortality using the structural equation model (SEM) analysis with statistical causality. Sepsis data from the Focused Outcomes Research in Emergency Care in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis, and Trauma study (FORECAST), a multicenter cohort study, was used. Forty seven observed variables from the database were used to construct 4 latent variables. SEM analysis was performed on these latent variables to analyze the statistical causality among these data. This study evaluated whether the variables had an effect on in-hospital mortality. Overall, 1148 patients were enrolled. The SEM analysis showed that the 72-hour physical condition was the strongest latent variable affecting mortality, followed by physical condition before treatment. Furthermore, the 72-hour physical condition and the physical condition before treatment strongly influenced the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score with path coefficients of 0.954 and 0.845, respectively. The SOFA score was the strongest variable that affected mortality after the onset of severe sepsis. The score remains the most robust prognostic factor and can facilitate appropriate policy development on care.

Association between low body mass index and increased 28-day mortality of severe sepsis in Japanese cohorts.

Current research regarding the association between body mass index (BMI) and altered clinical outcomes of sepsis in Asian populations is insufficient. We investigated the association between BMI and clinical outcomes using two Japanese cohorts of severe sepsis (derivation cohort, Chiba University Hospital, n = 614; validation cohort, multicenter cohort, n = 1561). Participants were categorized into the underweight (BMI < 18.5) and non-underweight (BMI ≥ 18.5) groups. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Univariate analysis of the derivation cohort indicated increased 28-day mortality trend in the underweight group compared to the non-underweight group (underweight 24.4% [20/82 cases] vs. non-underweight 16.0% [85/532 cases]; p = 0.060). In the primary analysis, multivariate analysis adjusted for baseline imbalance revealed that patients in the underweight group had a significantly increased 28-day mortality compared to those in the non-underweight group (p = 0.031, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-3.46). In a repeated analysis using a multicenter validation cohort (underweight n = 343, non-underweight n = 1218), patients in the underweight group had a significantly increased 28-day mortality compared to those in the non-underweight group (p = 0.045, OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.00-1.97). In conclusion, patients with a BMI < 18.5 had a significantly increased 28-day mortality compared to those with a BMI ≥ 18.5 in Japanese cohorts with severe sepsis.

The incidence of toxic shock syndrome due to nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in burn patients: A four-year retrospective cohort study.

Among adult and pediatric patients, concern is growing in regard to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) resulting from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nosocomial infection. We investigated the incidence and characteristics of this form of TSS in patients with burn injury who were admitted to our burn care units from January 2008 to December 2011. Of the 244 patients with nosocomial MRSA infection admitted during the study period, TSS occurred in 20 (8.2%) patients whose average age was 42.9 years, average total burn surface area (TBSA) was 31.7%, and average day of TSS appearance was 9.5 days after injury. There were no particular characteristics associated with age, TBSA or day of TSS appearance in these patients. All but 1 patient recovered from TSS within an average of 9.4 days. The incidence of TSS due to nosocomial MRSA infection in these burn patients was higher than expected. TSS due to nosocomial MRSA infection should be considered in burn care.

Current spectrum of causative pathogens in sepsis: A prospective nationwide cohort study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: There is no one-size-fits-all empiric antimicrobial therapy for sepsis because the pathogens vary according to the site of infection and have changed over time. Therefore, updating knowledge on the spectrum of pathogens is necessary for the rapid administration of appropriate antimicrobials. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to elucidate the current spectrum of pathogens and its variation by site of infection in sepsis. METHODS: This was a prospective nationwide cohort study of consecutive adult patients with sepsis in 59 intensive care units in Japan. The spectrum of pathogens was evaluated in all patients and in subgroups by site of infection. Regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations between the pathogens and mortality. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 1184 patients. The most common pathogen was Escherichia coli (21.5%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.0%). However, the pattern varied widely by site of infection; for example, gram-positive bacteria were the dominant pathogen in bone/soft tissue infection (55.7%) and cardiovascular infection (52.6%), but were rarely identified in urinary tract infection (6.4%). In contrast, gram-negative bacteria were the predominant pathogens in abdominal infection (38.4%) and urinary tract infection (72.0%). The highest mortality of 47.5% was observed in patients infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was significantly associated with an increased risk of death (odds ratio 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.22-2.91). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the current spectrum of pathogens and its variation based on the site of infection, which is essential for empiric antimicrobial therapy against sepsis.

Significance of body temperature in elderly patients with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients have a blunted host response, which may influence vital signs and clinical outcomes of sepsis. This study was aimed to investigate whether the associations between the vital signs and mortality are different in elderly and non-elderly patients with sepsis. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study. A Japanese multicenter sepsis cohort (FORECAST, n = 1148) was used for the discovery analyses. Significant discovery results were tested for replication using two validation cohorts of sepsis (JAAMSR, Japan, n = 624; SPH, Canada, n = 1004). Patients were categorized into elderly and non-elderly groups (age ≥ 75 or < 75 years). We tested for association between vital signs (body temperature [BT], heart rate, mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate) and 90-day in-hospital mortality (primary outcome). RESULTS: In the discovery cohort, non-elderly patients with BT < 36.0 °C had significantly increased 90-day mortality (P = 0.025, adjusted hazard ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.07-2.71). In the validation cohorts, non-elderly patients with BT < 36.0 °C had significantly increased mortality (JAAMSR, P = 0.0024, adjusted hazard ratio 2.05, 95% CI 1.29-3.26; SPH, P = 0.029, adjusted hazard ratio 1.36, 95% CI 1.03-1.80). These differences were not observed in elderly patients in the three cohorts. Associations between the other four vital signs and mortality were not different in elderly and non-elderly patients. The interaction of age and hypothermia/fever was significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In septic patients, we found mortality in non-elderly sepsis patients was increased with hypothermia and decreased with fever. However, mortality in elderly patients was not associated with BT. These results illuminate the difference in the inflammatory response of the elderly compared to non-elderly sepsis patients.

Epidemiology of sepsis and septic shock in intensive care units between sepsis-2 and sepsis-3 populations: sepsis prognostication in intensive care unit and emergency room (SPICE-ICU).

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing sepsis remains difficult because it is not a single disease but a syndrome with various pathogen- and host factor-associated symptoms. Sepsis-3 was established to improve risk stratification among patients with infection based on organ failures, but it has been still controversial compared with previous definitions. Therefore, we aimed to describe characteristics of patients who met sepsis-2 (severe sepsis) and sepsis-3 definitions. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective cohort study conducted by 22 intensive care units (ICUs) in Japan. Adult patients (≥ 16 years) with newly suspected infection from December 2017 to May 2018 were included. Those without infection at final diagnosis were excluded. Patient's characteristics and outcomes were described according to whether they met each definition or not. RESULTS: In total, 618 patients with suspected infection were admitted to 22 ICUs during the study, of whom 530 (85.8%) met the sepsis-2 definition and 569 (92.1%) met the sepsis-3 definition. The two groups comprised different individuals, and 501 (81.1%) patients met both definitions. In-hospital mortality of study population was 19.1%. In-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis-2 and sepsis-3 patients was comparable (21.7% and 19.8%, respectively). Patients exclusively identified with sepsis-2 or sepsis-3 had a lower mortality (17.2% vs. 4.4%, respectively). No patients died if they did not meet any definitions. Patients who met sepsis-3 shock definition had higher in-hospital mortality than those who met sepsis-2 shock definition. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with infection admitted to ICU meet sepsis-2 and sepsis-3 criteria. However, in-hospital mortality did not occur if patients did not meet any criteria. Better criteria might be developed by better selection and combination of elements in both definitions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000027452.

Clinical characteristics of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in relation to bacterial virulence of beta-hemolytic Streptococcus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

AIM: Combined detailed analysis of patient characteristics and treatment as well as bacterial virulence factors, which all play a central role in the cause of infections leading to severe illness, has not been reported. We aimed to describe the patient characteristics (Charlson comorbidity index [CCI]), treatment (3-h bundle), and outcomes in relation to bacterial virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae and beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (BHS). METHODS: This sepsis primary study is part of the larger Focused Outcomes Research in Emergency Care in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis and Trauma (FORECAST) study, a multicenter, prospective cohort study. We included patients diagnosed with S. pneumoniae and BHS sepsis and examined virulence, defining the high-virulence factor as follows: S. pneumoniae serotype 3, 31, 11A, 35F, and 17F; Streptococcus pyogenes, emm 1; Streptococcus agalactiae, III; and Streptococcus dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis, emm typing pattern stG 6792. Included patients were divided into high and normal categories based on the virulence factor. RESULTS: Of 1,184 sepsis patients enrolled in the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine's FORECAST study, 62 were included in the current study (29 cases with S. pneumoniae sepsis and 33 with BHS). The CCI and completion of a 3-h bundle did not differ between normal and high virulence groups. Risk of 28-day mortality was significantly higher for high-virulence compared to normal-virulence when adjusted for CCI and completion of a 3-h bundle (Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, hazard ratio 3.848; 95% confidence interval, 1.108-13.370; P = 0.034). CONCLUSION: The risk of 28-day mortality was significantly higher for patients with high-virulence compared to normal-virulence bacteria.

The significance of disseminated intravascular coagulation on multiple organ dysfunction during the early stage of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a predominant cause of death in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is recognized as a syndrome that frequently develops MODS. To test the hypothesis that DIC scores are useful for predicting MODS development and that DIC is associated with MODS, we retrospectively analyzed the data of a prospective, multicenter study on ARDS. METHODS: Patients who met the Berlin definition of ARDS were included. DIC scores as well as the disease severity and the development of MODS on the day of the diagnosis of ARDS (day 0) and day 3 were evaluated. The primary and secondary outcomes were the development of MODS and the hospital mortality. RESULTS: In the 129 eligible patients, the prevalence of DIC was 45.7% (59/129). DIC patients were more seriously ill and exhibited a higher prevalence of MODS on days 0 and 3 than non-DIC patients. The DIC scores on day 0 detected the development of MODS with good area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.714, p<.001). DIC on day 0 was significantly associated with MODS on days 0 and 3 (odds ratio 1.53 and 1.34, respectively). Patients with persistent DIC from days 0 to 3 had higher rates of both MODS on day 3 (p=.035) and hospital mortality (p=.031) than the other patients. CONCLUSIONS: DIC scores were able to predict MODS, and DIC was associated with MODS during the early stage of ARDS. Persistent DIC may also have role in this association.

Impact of blood glucose abnormalities on outcomes and disease severity in patients with severe sepsis: An analysis from a multicenter, prospective survey of severe sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Dysglycemia is frequently observed in patients with sepsis. However, the relationship between dysglycemia and outcome is inconsistent. We evaluate the clinical characteristics, glycemic abnormalities, and the relationship between the initial glucose level and mortality in patients with sepsis. METHODS: This is a retrospective sub-analysis of a multicenter, prospective cohort study. Adult patients with severe sepsis (Sepsis-2) were divided into groups based on blood glucose categories (<70 (hypoglycemia), 70-139, 140-179, and ≥180 mg/dL), according to the admission values. In-hospital mortality and the relationship between pre-existing diabetes and septic shock were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 1158 patients, 69, 543, 233, and 313 patients were categorized as glucose levels <70, 70-139, 140-179, ≥180 mg/dL, respectively. Both the Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores on the day of enrollment were higher in the hypoglycemic patients than in those with 70-179 mg/dL. The hepatic SOFA scores were also higher in hypoglycemic patients. In-hospital mortality rates were higher in hypoglycemic patients than in those with 70-139 mg/dL (26/68, 38.2% vs 43/221, 19.5%). A significant relationship between mortality and hypoglycemia was demonstrated only in patients without known diabetes. Mortality in patients with both hypoglycemia and septic shock was 2.5-times higher than that in patients without hypoglycemia and septic shock. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoglycemia may be related to increased severity and high mortality in patients with severe sepsis. These relationships were evident only in patients without known diabetes. Patients with both hypoglycemia and septic shock had an associated increased mortality rate.

Identifying Septic Shock Populations Benefitting From Polymyxin B Hemoperfusion: A Prospective Cohort Study Incorporating a Restricted Cubic Spline Regression Model.

INTRODUCTION: Polymyxin B hemoperfusion (PMX-HP) is an adjuvant therapy for sepsis or septic shock that removes circulating endotoxin. However, PMX-HP has seldom achieved expectations in randomized trials targeting nonspecific overall sepsis patients. If used in an optimal population, PMX-HP may be beneficial. This study aimed to identify the optimal population for PMX-HP in patients with septic shock. METHODS: We used a prospective nationwide cohort targeting consecutive adult patients with severe sepsis (Sepsis-2) in 59 intensive care units in Japan. Associations between PMX-HP therapy and in-hospital mortality were assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models. To identify best targets for PMX-HP, we developed a non-linear restricted cubic spline model including two-way interaction term (treatment × Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II score/Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] score) and three-way interaction term (treatment × age × each score). RESULTS: The final study cohort comprised 741 sepsis patients (92 received PMX-HP, 625 did not). Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusted for the covariates suggested no association between PMX-HP therapy and improved mortality overall. Effect modification of PMX-HP by APACHE II score was statistically significant (P for interaction = 0.189) but non-significant for SOFA score (P for interaction = 0.413). Three-way interaction analysis revealed suppressed risk hazard in the PMX-HP group versus control group only in septic shock patients with high age and in the most severe subset of both scores, whereas increased risk hazard was observed in those with high age but in the lower severity subset of both scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that although PMX-HP did not reduce in-hospital mortality among overall septic shock patients, it may benefit a limited population with high age and higher disease severity.

History of diabetes may delay antibiotic administration in patients with severe sepsis presenting to emergency departments.

Clinical manifestations of sepsis differ between patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM), and these differences could influence the clinical behaviors of medical staff. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether pre-existing DM was associated with the time to antibiotics or sepsis care protocols.This was a retrospective cohort study.It conducted at 53 intensive care units (ICUs) in Japan.Consecutive adult patients with severe sepsis admitted directly to ICUs form emergency departments from January 2016 to March 2017 were included.The primary outcome was time to antibiotics.Of the 619 eligible patients, 142 had DM and 477 did not have DM. The median times (interquartile ranges) to antibiotics in patients with and without DM were 103 minutes (60-180 minutes) and 86 minutes (45-155 minutes), respectively (P = .05). There were no significant differences in the rates of compliance with sepsis protocols or with patient-centred outcomes such as in-hospital mortality. The mortality rates of patients with and without DM were 23.9% and 21.6%, respectively (P = .55). Comparing patients with and without DM, the gamma generalized linear model-adjusted relative difference indicated that patients with DM had a delay to starting antibiotics of 26.5% (95% confidence intervals (95%CI): 4.6-52.8, P = .02). The gamma generalized linear model-adjusted relative difference with multiple imputation for missing data of sequential organ failure assessment was 19.9% (95%CI: 1.0-42.3, P = .04). The linear regression model-adjusted beta coefficient indicated that patients with DM had a delay to starting antibiotics of 29.2 minutes (95%CI: 6.8-51.7, P = .01). Logistic regression modelling showed that pre-existing DM was not associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.26; 95%CI: 0.72-2.19, P = .42).Pre-existing DM was associated with delayed antibiotic administration among patients with severe sepsis or septic shock; however, patient-centred outcomes and compliance with sepsis care protocols were comparable.

Characteristics and outcomes of bacteremia among ICU-admitted patients with severe sepsis.

The clinical implications of bacteremia among septic patients remain unclear, although a vast amount of data have been accumulated on sepsis. We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of severe sepsis patients with and without bacteremia. This secondary analysis of a multicenter, prospective cohort study included 59 intensive care units (ICUs) in Japan between January 2016 and March 2017. The study cohort comprised 1,184 adults (aged ≥ 16 years) who were admitted to an ICU with severe sepsis and diagnosed according to the Sepsis-2 criteria. Of 1,167 patients included in the analysis, 636 (54.5%) had bacteremia. Those with bacteremia had significantly higher rates of septic shock (66.4% vs. 58.9%, p = 0.01) and higher sepsis severity scores, including the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). No significant difference in in-hospital mortality was seen between patients with and without bacteremia (25.6% vs. 21.0%, p = 0.08). In conclusion, half of severe sepsis patients in ICUs have bacteremia. Although patients with bacteremia had more severe state, between-group differences in patient-centered outcomes, such as in-hospital mortality, have not been fully elucidated.

Risk modifiers of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with non-pulmonary sepsis: a retrospective analysis of the FORECAST study.

BACKGROUND: Predisposing conditions and risk modifiers instead of causes and risk factors have recently been used as alternatives to identify patients at a risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, data regarding risk modifiers among patients with non-pulmonary sepsis is rare. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the multicenter, prospective, Focused Outcomes Research in Emergency Care in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis and Trauma (FORECAST) cohort study that was conducted in 59 intensive care units (ICUs) in Japan during January 2016-March 2017. Adult patients with severe sepsis caused by non-pulmonary infection were included, and the primary outcome was having ARDS, defined as meeting the Berlin definition on the first or fourth day of screening. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify risk modifiers associated with ARDS, and odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals were reported. The following explanatory variables were then assessed: age, sex, admission source, body mass index, smoking status, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, steroid use, statin use, infection site, septic shock, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score. RESULTS: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 594 patients with non-pulmonary sepsis were enrolled, among whom 85 (14.3%) had ARDS. Septic shock was diagnosed in 80% of patients with ARDS and 66% of those without ARDS (p = 0.01). APACHE II scores were higher in patients with ARDS [26 (22-33)] than in those without ARDS [21 (16-28), p < 0.01]. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the following were independently associated with ARDS: ICU admission source [OR, 1.89 (1.06-3.40) for emergency department compared with hospital wards], smoking status [OR, 0.18 (0.06-0.59) for current smoking compared with never smoked], infection site [OR, 2.39 (1.04-5.40) for soft tissue infection compared with abdominal infection], and APACHE II score [OR, 1.08 (1.05-1.12) for higher compared with lower score]. CONCLUSIONS: Soft tissue infection, ICU admission from an emergency department, and a higher APACHE II score appear to be the risk modifiers of ARDS in patients with non-pulmonary sepsis.