Community- versus nosocomial-acquired severe sepsis and septic shock in patients admitted to a tertiary intensive care in Saudi Arabia, etiology and outcome

The Appropriateness of Empirical Uses of Antibiotics Based on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Results for Inpatients at a Tertiary Hospital in Saudi Arabia

The optimal use of antibiotics represents a cornerstone in controlling antibiotic resistance. Strategies such as antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) have been developed to influence the rational use of antibiotics. This study evaluated the appropriateness of the empirical use of antibiotics based on antibiotic susceptibility results with the aim of participating effectively in improving local ASPs. In a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia, 500 inpatients received empirical antibiotics, and their culture and sensitivity results were included. The appropriateness of the empirical use of antibiotics was determined based on their alignment with the culture and sensitivity results. More than half of the participants (56.4%) were men, and nearly half (43%) were over 61 years old. The empirical uses of antibiotics were appropriately prescribed in 58% of the patients. Ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone were the most prescribed antibiotics, while vancomycin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and tigecycline were the most appropriately prescribed antibiotics. E. coli was the main microorganism isolated in the susceptibility results and was appropriately prescribed in 59% of the patients. The highest microbial sensitivity was observed for linezolid, vancomycin, and tigecycline. Antibiotics were appropriately prescribed empirically in more than half of the participants. Activating interventional ASP is crucial to fill the gap in prescribing antimicrobials. Considering the expected type of organisms and the local susceptibility pattern is likely to yield a more appropriate empirical use of antibiotics.

Naringin: A flavanone with a multifaceted target against sepsis-associated organ injuries

BACKGROUND

Sepsis causes multiple organ dysfunctions and raises mortality and morbidity rates through a dysregulated host response to infection. Despite the growing research interest over the last few years, no satisfactory treatment exists. Naringin, a naturally occurring bioflavonoid with vast therapeutic potential in citrus fruits and Chinese herbs, has received much attention for treating sepsis-associated multiple organ dysfunctions.

PURPOSE

The review describes preclinical evidence of naringin from 2011 to 2024, particularly emphasizing the mechanism of action mediated by naringin against sepsis-associated specific injuries. The combination therapy, safety profile, drug interactions, recent advancements in formulation, and future perspectives of naringin are also discussed.

METHODS

In vivo and in vitro studies focusing on the potential role of naringin and its mechanism of action against sepsis-associated organ injuries were identified and summarised in the present manuscript, which includes contributions from 2011 to 2024. All the articles were extracted from the Medline database using PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science with relevant keywords.

RESULTS

Research findings revealed that naringin modulates many signaling cascades, such as Rho/ROCK and PPAR/STAT1, PIP3/AKT and KEAP1/Nrf2, and IkB/NF-kB and MAPK/Nrf2/HO-1, to potentially protect against sepsis-induced intestinal, cardiac, and lung injury, respectively. Furthermore, naringin treatment exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant action against sepsis harm, highlighting naringin's promising effects in septic settings. Naringin could be employed as a treatment against sepsis, based on studies on combination therapy, synergistic effects, and toxicological investigation that show no reported severe side effects.

CONCLUSION

Naringin might be a promising therapeutic approach for preventing sepsis-induced multiple organ failure. Naringin should be used alongside other therapeutic therapies with caution despite its great therapeutic potential and lower toxicity. Nonetheless, clinical studies are required to comprehend the therapeutic benefits of naringin against sepsis.

Prevalence and outcome of sepsis in respiratory intensive care unit

Background

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection.

Objective

To assess the prevalence and outcome of sepsis in RICU

Patients and methods

The study was conducted upon 403 patients admitted at RICU of the Abbassia Chest Hospital, Cairo, Egypt; 100 of them had sepsis either on admission or acquired in the RICU during the period from May 2019 to November 2019. Severity of illness was assessed by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II score), which was recorded within 24 h from patient admission. Quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score was recorded in emergency room, and sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was recorded on ICU admission and on the 3rd and 7th day of ICU stay. Type of infection (community or hospital acquired), infection site, and pathogenic organisms, all were recorded. Assessment was done also regarding mechanical ventilation, length of RICU stay, the presence of comorbidities, survived patients, and dead ones, as regards causes of death and risk factors.

Results

The study included 100 cases with sepsis out of 403 admitted cases in the same duration with frequency 24%. Among sepsis patients, 72% were males and 28%were females, with mean age 51.62 ± 18.62 years. The main diagnosis was pneumonia (62%), and the main comorbidity was diabetes mellitus (23%). There was significant increase in age among non-survivors when compared with survivors. There was significant increase in number of mechanically ventilated patients and a highly significant incidence of complications and need for vasoactive drugs among non-survivors when compared with survivors. There was a highly significant higher APACHE II score on the 1st day of admission among non-survivor patients. The SOFA score was significantly higher on the 1st day of admission and significantly higher on the 3rd and 7th day of admission among non-survivor patients when compared to survived patients.

Conclusion

The current study showed that sepsis affects nearly one quarter of cases admitted at RICU, and it is usually associated with higher mortality rate in those patients.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05240157. Registered February 15, 2022. Retrospectively registered.

Hospital-onset sepsis and community-onset sepsis in critical care units in Japan: a retrospective cohort study based on a Japanese administrative claims database

Background

Hospital- and community-onset sepsis are significant sepsis subgroups. Japanese data comparing these subgroups are limited. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of hospital- and community-onset sepsis in critical care units in Japan.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Japanese Diagnosis and Procedure Combination database. Adult patients admitted to critical care units with sepsis from April 2010 to March 2020 were included. Sepsis cases were identified based on ICD-10 codes for infectious diseases, procedure codes for blood culture tests, and medication codes for antimicrobials. Patients’ characteristics, in-hospital mortality, and resource utilization were assessed. The in-hospital mortality between groups was compared using the Poisson regression generalized linear mixed-effect model.

Results

Of 516,124 patients, 52,183 (10.1%) had hospital-onset sepsis and 463,940 (89.9%) had community-onset sepsis. Hospital-onset sepsis was characterized by younger age, infrequent emergency hospitalization, frequent surgery under general anesthesia, and frequent organ support upon critical care unit admission compared to community-onset sepsis. In-hospital mortality was higher for hospital-onset than for community-onset sepsis (35.5% versus 19.2%; unadjusted mean difference, 16.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.9–16.7]; adjusted mean difference, 15.6% [95% CI 14.9–16.2]). Mean hospital length of stay was longer for hospital-onset than for community-onset sepsis (47 days versus 30 days; unadjusted mean difference, 17 days [95% CI 16–17]; adjusted mean difference, 13 days [95% CI 12–14]).

Conclusion

Patients with hospital-onset sepsis admitted to critical care units in Japan had a poorer prognosis and more resource utilization including organ support rate, number of days with critical care unit surcharge codes, and hospital length of stay than those with community-onset sepsis.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-022-04013-0.

National Early Warning Score (NEWS) as Prognostic Triage Tool for Septic Patients

Purpose

We assessed the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) in emergency triage for predicting sepsis-related outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of all cases enrolled in the sepsis management protocol for a one-year duration. The protocol utilized the NEWS as a screening tool for sepsis in the triage area. Primary outcomes of interest were hyperlactatemia, admission to ICU and intrahospital mortality. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for a given NEWS.

Results

A total of 444 patients were reviewed from July 2018 to June 2019, with a mean age of 58.7 years. A NEWS ≥5 was more than 88% sensitive in predicting hyperlactatemia, ICU admission, and/or mortality. Specificity, on the other hand, was as low as 12%. The AUC for the NEWS was 0.667 for predicting hyperlactatemia and 0.602 for predicting ICU admission or mortality.

Conclusion

The NEWS was a sensitive screening tool for predicting sepsis-related outcomes. However, it was not specific, and further studies are recommended to assess the integration of other factors to improve specificity.

Epidemiology and burden of sepsis acquired in hospitals and intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Sepsis is recognized as a global public health problem, but the proportion due to hospital-acquired infections remains unclear. We aimed to summarize the epidemiological evidence related to the burden of hospital-acquired (HA) and ICU-acquired (ICU-A) sepsis.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Global Index Medicus from 01/2000 to 03/2018. We included studies conducted hospital-wide or in intensive care units (ICUs), including neonatal units (NICUs), with data on the incidence/prevalence of HA and ICU-A sepsis and the proportion of community and hospital/ICU origin. We did random-effects meta-analyses to obtain pooled estimates; inter-study heterogeneity and risk of bias were assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 13,239 studies identified, 51 met the inclusion criteria; 22 were from low- and middle-income countries. Twenty-eight studies were conducted in ICUs, 13 in NICUs, and ten hospital-wide. The proportion of HA sepsis among all hospital-treated sepsis cases was 23.6% (95% CI 17-31.8%, range 16-36.4%). In the ICU, 24.4% (95% CI 16.7-34.2%, range 10.3-42.5%) of cases of sepsis with organ dysfunction were acquired during ICU stay and 48.7% (95% CI 38.3-59.3%, range 18.7-69.4%) had a hospital origin. The pooled hospital incidence of HA sepsis with organ dysfunction per 1000 patients was 9.3 (95% CI 7.3-11.9, range 2-20.6)). In the ICU, the pooled incidence of HA sepsis with organ dysfunction per 1000 patients was 56.5 (95% CI 35-90.2, range 9.2-254.4) and it was particularly high in NICUs. Mortality of ICU patients with HA sepsis with organ dysfunction was 52.3% (95% CI 43.4-61.1%, range 30.1-64.6%). There was a significant inter-study heterogeneity. Risk of bias was low to moderate in ICU-based studies and moderate to high in hospital-wide and NICU studies.

CONCLUSION

HA sepsis is of major public health importance, and the burden is particularly high in ICUs. There is an urgent need to improve the implementation of global and local infection prevention and management strategies to reduce its high burden among hospitalized patients.

Epidemiology of Sepsis Syndrome among Intensive Care Unit Patients at a Tertiary University Hospital in Palestine in 2019

Background

Sepsis syndrome is an emerging healthcare problem, especially in critically ill patients, regardless whether it's community- or hospital-acquired sepsis. This study evaluates the characteristics of these patients, in addition to the type, source, and outcome of sepsis and septic shock, in a university tertiary hospital in Palestine. It also studies the most common organisms encountered in these patients.

Materials and methods

This is retrospective observational chart review study of all adult admissions to the intensive care unit over a period of 2 years. The presence of sepsis and septic shock was assessed and documented based on the Third International Consensus Definitions (Sepsis-3). Data regarding demographics, severity, comorbidities, source of infection, microbiology, length of stay, and outcomes (dead/alive at discharge from ICU) were recorded.

Results

A total number of 174 patients were included. The mean age was 57.4 years, with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes being the leading comorbidities encountered in them. Respiratory infections were the most common site of sepsis, found in around 71% of patients, followed by urinary tract infections. More than 70% of cases were due to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Acinetobacter species were the most common gram-negative organisms encountered, while Enterococcus was the most common gram-positive organisms. Around 54% of patients had multidrug-resistant organisms. The average length of stay in the ICU was 8 days. The average mortality rate was 39.7%, which is higher among septic shock patients.

Conclusion

Both sepsis and septic shock carry high morbidity and mortality rates, and they are very frequent among critically ill patients. Special care and developing management bundles are crucial in controlling and preventing this threat.

How to cite this article

Rabee HA, Tanbour R, Nazzal Z, Hamshari Y, Habash Y, Anaya A, et al. Epidemiology of Sepsis Syndrome among Intensive Care Unit Patients at a Tertiary University Hospital in Palestine in 2019. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(7):551–556.

Epidemiology of Community-Acquired Sepsis in Adult Patients: A Six Year Observational Study

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection and it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study is to describe epidemiology of community-acquired sepsis in the Intensive care unit (ICU) of the Macedonian tertiary care University Clinic for Infectious Diseases. A prospective observational study was conducted over a 6-year period from January, 2011 to December, 2016. All consecutive adults with community-acquired sepsis or septic shock were included in the study. Variables measured were incidence of sepsis, age, gender, comorbidities, season, source of infection, complications, interventions, severity indexes, length of stay, laboratory findings, blood cultures, 28-day and in hospital mortality. Of 1348 admissions, 277 (20.5%) had sepsis and septic shock. The most common chronic condition was heart failure (26.4%), and the most frequent site of infection was the respiratory tract (57.4%). Median Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) was 50.0, and median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 8.0. Blood cultures were positive in 22% of the cases. Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 13% and Gram-negatives in 9.7% of patients with sepsis. The overall 28-day and in hospital mortality was 50.5% and 56.3% respectively. The presence of chronic heart failure, occurrence of ARDS, septic shock and the winter period may influence an unfavorable outcome. Mortality compared to previous years is unchanged but patients that we have been treating these last 6 years have had more severe illnesses. Better adherence to the Surviving Sepsis guidelines will reduce mortality in this group of severely ill patients.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics and outcomes of community-acquired sepsis among adults: a single center, 1-year retrospective observational cohort study from Hungary

Background

Community-acquired sepsis is a life-threatening systemic reaction, which starts within ≤72 h of hospital admittance in an infected patient without recent exposure to healthcare risks. Our aim was to evaluate the characteristics and the outcomes concerning community-acquired sepsis among patients admitted to a Hungarian high-influx national medical center.

Methods

A retrospective, observational cohort study of consecutive adult patients hospitalized with community-acquired sepsis during a 1-year period was executed. Clinical and microbiological data were collected, patients with pre-defined healthcare associations were excluded. Sepsis definitions and severity were given according to ACCP/SCCM criteria. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admittance, length-of-stay (LOS), source control and bacteraemia rates. Statistical differences were explored with classical comparison tests, predictors of in-hospital all-cause mortality were modelled by multivariate logistic regression.

Results

214 patients (median age 60.0 ± 33.1 years, 57% female, median Charlson score 4.0 ± 5.0) were included, 32.7% of them (70/214) had severe sepsis, and 28.5% (61/214) had septic shock. Prevalent sources of infections were genitourinary (53/214, 24.8%) and abdominal (52/214, 24.3%). The causative organisms were dominantly E. coli (60/214, 28.0%), S. pneumoniae (18/214, 8.4%) and S. aureus (14/214, 6.5%), and bacteraemia was documented in 50.9% of the cases (109/214). In-hospital mortality was high (30/214, 14.0%), and independently associated with shock, absence of fever, male gender and the need for ICU admittance, but source control and de-escalation of empirical antimicrobial therapy were protective. ICU admittance was 27.1% (58/214), source control was achieved in 18.2% (39/214). Median LOS was 10.0 ± 8.0, ICU LOS was 8.0 ± 10.8 days.

Conclusions

Community-acquired sepsis poses a significant burden of disease with characteristic causative agents and sources. Patients at a higher risk for poor outcomes might be identified earlier by the contributing factors shown above.

The Role of the Electronic Medical Record in the Intensive Care Unit Nurse's Detection of Patient Deterioration: A Qualitative Study

Failure to detect patient deterioration signals leads to longer stays in the hospital, worse functional outcomes, and higher hospital mortality rates. Surveillance, including ongoing acquisition, interpretation, and synthesis of patient data by the nurse, is essential for early risk detection. Electronic medical records promote accessibility and retrievability of patient data and can support patient surveillance. A secondary analysis was performed on interview data from 24 intensive care unit nurses, collected in a study that examined factors influencing nurse responses to alarms. Six themes describing nurses' use of electronic medical record information to understand the patients' norm and seven themes describing electronic medical record design issues were identified. Further work is needed on electronic medical record design to integrate documentation and information presentation with the nursing workflow. Organizations should involve bedside nurses in the design of handoff formats that provide key information common to all intensive care unit patient populations, as well as population-specific information.

Clinical factors influencing mortality risk in hospital-acquired sepsis

BACKGROUND

Identification of factors that confer an increased risk of mortality in hospital-acquired sepsis (HAS) is necessary to help prevent, and improve the outcome of, this condition.

AIM

To evaluate the clinical characteristics and factors associated with mortality in patients with HAS.

METHODS

Retrospective study of patients with HAS in a major Spanish Hospital from 2011 to 2015. Data from adults receiving any of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes associated with sepsis were collected. Those fulfilling the SEPSIS-2 definition with no evidence of infection during the first 48 h following hospitalization were included (N = 196). Multivariate analysis was employed to identify the risk factors of mortality.

FINDINGS

HAS patients were found to have many of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (male sex, ageing, antecedent of cardiac disease, arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, smoking habit) and cancer. Vascular disease or chronic kidney disease were associated with 28-day mortality. Time from hospital admission to sepsis diagnosis, and the presence of organ failure were risk factors for 28-day and hospital mortality. Experiencing more than one episode of sepsis increased the risk of hospital mortality. 'Sepsis code' for the early identification of sepsis was protective against hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies several major factors associated with mortality in patients suffering from HAS. Implementation of surveillance programmes for the early identification and treatment of sepsis translate into a clear benefit.