Differences in clinical and lab characteristics of sepsis between opium user patients and patients with no illicit drug addiction.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a significant cause of mortality worldwide. This study aimed to compare clinical and laboratory characteristics of sepsis in patients addicted to illicit drugs versus patients with no illicit drug addiction. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, all patients hospitalized with sepsis diagnosis were recruited within six months from September to March 2019. Sixty patients for each group (illicit drug-addicted and non-addicted individuals) were selected. The data relating to illicit drug consumption, serum indices, the current focus of infection, duration of hospitalization, and disease outcomes were collected. Patients who had an illicit drug addiction were compared with non-addicted patients in terms of clinical and laboratory parameters. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS software (version 19). RESULTS: The bacterial load in the urine culture was statistically significant in both groups and higher in the non-addicted group. The frequency distributions of focus of infection, duration of hospitalization, and outcome were not significantly different between the two groups. The serum sodium and total neutrophils were significantly higher in the addicted group. However, the MCHC level was significantly lower (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Opium may have stimulated the immune system and reduced bacterial infection in septic patient users.