Postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome in randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a potentially fatal postoperative complication. We aimed to estimate temporal trends of the representation of patients with postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome in clinical trials, determine their distinct clinical features, and identify predictors of mortality. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of 7 randomized controlled clinical trials conducted by the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network and the Clinical Trials Network for the Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury. Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome were classified into a postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome group (ie, patients who had undergone elective surgery in the immediate period before trial enrollment) and a non-postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome group. RESULTS: Out of 5,316 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, 256 (4.8%) had postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome. Representation of postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome in trials gradually declined from 2000 to 2011, but it remained stable afterward at 2.7%. Postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome was associated with lower 90-day mortality (24.6% vs 30.9%, P = .032) than non-postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome, even after adjusting for age, acute respiratory distress syndrome severity, usage of vasopressors at baseline, and the study publication year (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.82). Age (odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.09), immunosuppression (odds ratio 4.12, 95% confidence interval 1.43-11.86), and positive fluid balance (odds ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.14) were associated with 90-day mortality among patients with postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome. CONCLUSION: Representation of postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome in trials of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network and the Clinical Trials Network for the Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury gradually declined from 2000 to 2011 but remained stable afterward. Postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome was associated with lower mortality than non-postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome. These findings may put both temporal trends and the prognosis of postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome in perspective. Also, positive fluid balance was associated with the mortality of patients with postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Diabetes on sepsis outcomes in non-ICU patients: A cohort study and review of the literature.

AIMS: We sought to determine whether primary outcomes differ between non-ICU septic patients with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: This study utilized the Hellenic Sepsis Study Group Registry, collecting nationwide data for sepsis patients since 2006, and classified patients upon presence or absence of T2D. Patients were perfectly matched for a) Sepsis 3 definition criteria (including septic shock) b) gender, c) age, d) APACHE II score and e) Charlson's comorbidity index (CCI). Independent sample t-test and chi-square t-test was used to compare prognostic indices and primary outcomes. RESULTS: Of 4320 initially included non-ICU sepsis patients, 812 were finally analysed, following match on criteria. Baseline characteristics were age 76 [±10.3] years, 46% male, APACHE II 15.5 [±6], CCI 5.1 [±1.8], 24% infection, 63.8% sepsis and 12.2% septic shock. No significant difference was noted between two groups in qSOFA, SOFA, or suPAR1 levels (p = 0.7, 0.1 & 0.3) respectively. Primary sepsis syndrome resolved in 70.9% of cases (p = 0.9), while mortality was 24% in 28-days time. Cause of death was similar between patients with and without T2D (sepsis 17.8% vs 15.8%, heart event 3.7% vs 3.2%, CNS event 0.5% vs 0.5%, malignancy 0.7% vs 2% respectively, p = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: DM does not appear to negatively affect outcomes in septic patients not requiring ICU.

Prognostic Role of Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor at the Emergency Department: A Position Paper by the Hellenic Sepsis Study Group.

In light of the accumulating evidence on the negative predictive value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a group of experts from the fields of intensive care medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine and infectious diseases frame a position statement on the role of suPAR in the screening of patients admitted to the emergency department. The statement is framed taking into consideration existing publications and our own research experience. The main content of this statement is that sUPAR is a non-specific marker associated with a high negative predictive value for unfavourable outcomes; levels < 4 ng/ml indicate that it is safe to discharge the patient, whereas levels > 6 ng/ml are an alarming sign of risk for unfavourable outcomes. However, the suPAR levels should always be interpreted in light of the patient's history.