They detect risk factors that could worsen the health of patients with sepsis

Sepsis is a serious and life-threatening disease. The incidence of sepsis is increasing in several countries, but until now there has been limited reliable information on the long-term outcomes of patients who develop it, as existing studies have a mix of designs, differences in data sources and different definitions of sepsis, all of which produce considerable variations in estimates of incidence and deaths from the condition.

At the European Congress of Emergency Medicine, organized by the European Society of Emergency Medicine (EUSEM), which is being held these days in Copenhagen, the aim was to shed light on these gaps regarding sepsis, through a study presented by Dr. Finn E. Nielsen, senior scientist at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Aarhus University Hospital (Denmark).

“It is essential to recognize that sepsis is a serious disease with a high mortality rate. We have observed that certain factors increase the risk of death after sepsis, including, unsurprisingly, advanced age. In addition, conditions such as dementia , heart disease, cancer, and previous hospitalization for sepsis in the six months before admission also increase the risk of death over a median follow-up period of two years,” Dr. Nielsen noted.

Dr. Nielsen, a specialist in emergency medicine, cardiology and internal medicine, created the sepsis research group in his emergency department in 2017. The current study examined outcomes among patients admitted with sepsis between October 2017 and end of March 2018.

“Our study was based on a sepsis database, which provided valuable information based on prospectively collected patient data. Unlike the routine registry data often used, this approach minimized errors and allowed more information to be obtained. accurate and detailed information on the effects of sepsis.

The study included 2,110 patients with suspected infection, of whom 714 developed sepsis. The researchers obtained data on deaths from Danish registration systems, which provide up-to-date information on all Danish citizens. They found that after a median of two years, 361 (50.6%) of the sepsis patients had died from any cause, including sepsis. Older age increased the risk of death by 4% for each additional year of age.

Additionally, a history of cancer more than doubled the risk (121%), ischemic heart disease (a condition in which the arteries supplying blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by a buildup of fat) increased the risk by 39%. , dementia increased the risk by 90% and previous admission for sepsis in the last six months increased the risk by 48%.

“In this study we have attempted to address some of the gaps in our understanding of the epidemiology of sepsis, identifying several risk factors that medical personnel should prioritize in terms of information, care and follow-up checks. We believe that this knowledge is useful both for physicians and researchers in the field of acute medicine,” said Dr. Nielsen.

“Although we have identified several risk factors that clearly increase the risk of death and that should serve as a basis for clinicians and researchers during the discharge planning process, as well as for the development of future prediction studies, we have not been able to construct a general model suitable for predicting mortality in clinical practice,” he stated. “Prospective studies are needed on the effect of other factors not examined in our study, including various complications that may arise after hospitalization and after discharge.”

That is why, in his opinion, “it is necessary to repeat similar, but larger, studies on the results related to sepsis in all departments, regions and countries to obtain a comprehensive epidemiological overview of sepsis, including prognostic aspects.” long-term effects of physical, mental and cognitive disorders, and the possible impact of these factors on the risk of death.