Low-dose corticosteroids in septic shock: Has the pendulum shifted?

Glucocorticoid therapy for sepsis in the AI era: a survey on current and future approaches

Sepsis, a life-threatening medical condition, manifests as new or worsening organ failures due to a dysregulated host response to infection. Many patients with sepsis have manifested a hyperinflammatory phenotype leading to the identification of inflammatory modulation by corticosteroids as a key treatment modality. However, the optimal use of corticosteroids in sepsis treatment remains a contentious subject, necessitating a deeper understanding of their physiological and pharmacological effects. Our study conducts a comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on traditional corticosteroid treatment in sepsis, alongside an analysis of evolving clinical guidelines. Additionally, we explore the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, particularly in diagnosing, prognosticating, and treating sepsis. AI's advanced data processing capabilities reveal new avenues for enhancing corticosteroid therapeutic strategies in sepsis. The integration of AI in sepsis treatment has the potential to address existing gaps in knowledge, especially in the application of corticosteroids. Our findings suggest that combining corticosteroid therapy with AI-driven insights could lead to more personalized and effective sepsis treatments. This approach holds promise for improving clinical outcomes and presents a significant advancement in the management of this complex and often fatal condition.

Effect of Continuous Infusion vs Bolus Dose of Hydrocortisone in Septic Shock: A Prospective Randomized Study

Aim and background

Corticosteroids are recommended for use in adult patients with septic shock requiring vasopressors for blood pressure maintenance. However, this predisposes them to hyperglycemia, which is associated with a poor outcome. This prospective randomized study compares the effect of continuous infusion with bolus hydrocortisone on blood glucose levels in septic shock.

Materials and methods

Forty adult patients with sepsis and septic shock requiring vasopressor support were randomly allocated to either group C (continuous infusion of hydrocortisone 200 mg/day) or group B (intermittent bolus dose of hydrocortisone 50 mg IV 6 hourly). Blood glucose level (primary objective), number of hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic episodes, daily insulin requirement, shock reversal incidence, time to shock reversal, and nursing workload required to maintain blood glucose within the target range (82-180 mg/dL) were compared.

Results

The mean blood glucose level was comparable in the two groups (136.5 ± 22.08 mg/dL in group C vs 135.85 ± 19.06 mg/dL in group B; p = 0.921). The number of hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic episodes (p = 1.000 each), insulin requirement/day (p = 1.000), and nursing workload (p = 0.751) were also comparable among groups. Shock reversal was seen in 7/20 (35%) patients in continuous group and 12/20 (60%) patients in bolus group (p = 0.113). Time to shock reversal (p = 0.917) and duration of ICU stay (p = 0.751) were also statistically comparable.

Conclusion

Both the regimes of hydrocortisone, continuous infusion, and bolus dose, have comparable effects on blood glucose levels in patients with septic shock.The study was registered prospectively with ctri.nic.in (Ref. No. CTRI/2021/01/030342; registered on 8/1/2021).

How to cite this article

Salhotra R, Sharahudeen A, Tyagi A, Rautela RS, Kemprai R. Effect of Continuous Infusion vs Bolus Dose of Hydrocortisone in Septic Shock: A Prospective Randomized Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(9):837-841.

Recent trends in septic shock management: a narrative review of current evidence and recommendations

Septic shock stands for a group of manifestations that will cause a severe hemodynamic and metabolic dysfunction, which leads to a significant increase in the risk of death by a massive response of the immune system to any sort of infection that ends up with refractory hypotension making it responsible for escalating the numbers of hospitalized patients mortality rate, Organisms that are isolated most of the time are Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staph aureus. The WHO considers sepsis to be a worldwide health concern; the incidence of sepsis and septic shock have been increasing over the years while being considered to be under-reported at the same time. This review is a quick informative recap of the recent studies regarding diagnostic approaches using lactic acid (Lac), procalcitonin (PCT), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, as well as management recommendations for using vasopressors, fluid resuscitation, corticosteroids and antibiotics that should be considered when dealing with such type of shock.

Risk of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Following Preoperative Glucocorticoids Administration in Patients After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is one of the most serious complications in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Although glucocorticoids are increasingly used during PCNL, few studies have been concerned about the association between glucocorticoids and postoperative SIRS. The study aims to explore whether preoperative use of glucocorticoids is associated with SIRS after PCNL.

METHODS

A total of 1259 patients who underwent PCNL between January 2015 and April 2021 were enrolled in the retrospective cohort study. Risk factors for post-PCNL SIRS were identified by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. To further explore the association between preoperative administration of glucocorticoids and SIRS, 113 pairs of patients were matched for the confounding factors using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. The odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the above variables were analyzed.

RESULTS

The incidence of SIRS after PCNL was 9.6 % (121/1259) and the patients who suffered from postoperative SIRS had longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs (all p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that female, preoperative leukocyte count, insertion of central vein catheter, serum albumin, preoperative high-sensitive C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, preoperative transfusion, preoperative administration of glucocorticoids were independent risk factors for SIRS (all p < 0.05). After minimization, the effects of confounding factors by PSM, preoperative administration of glucocorticoids was significantly correlated with SIRS in patients after PCNL (OR=2.44, 95 %CI: 1.31-4.55, p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative administration of glucocorticoids is an independent risk factor for SIRS in patients undergoing PCNL.