A comparison of disseminated intravascular coagulation scoring systems and their performance to predict mortality in sepsis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a common complication in sepsis patients which exacerbates patient outcomes. The prevalence and outcomes of DIC in sepsis is wide-ranging and highly depends on the severity of the disease and diagnostic approaches utilized. Varied diagnostic criteria of DIC have been developed and their performance in diagnosis and prognosis is not consistent. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the score positivity rate and performance of different DIC scoring systems in predicting mortality in sepsis patients.

METHODS

Four databases, including Medline (through PubMed), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for studies that determined DIC in sepsis patients using the three scoring systems namely: the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis DIC (ISTH-DIC) criteria, the Japanese association for acute medicine DIC (JAAM-DIC) criteria, and the sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) criteria. A random-effect meta-analysis was performed with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analysis was conducted in view of geographic region and sepsis stages. the protocol was submitted to the Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with an identifier (CRD42023409614).

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies, published between 2009 and 2024, comprising 9319 sepsis patients were included. The pooled proportion of cases diagnosed as positive using ISTH-DIC criteria, JAAM-DIC criteria, and SIC were 28% (95% CI: 24-34%), 55% (95% CI:42-70%), and 57% (95% CI: 52-78%), respectively. The pooled mortality rates were 44% (95% CI:33-53%), 37% (95% CI: 29-46%), and 35% (95% CI: 29-41%), respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of ISTH-DIC to predict mortality were 0.43 (95% CI: 0.34-0.52), and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.74-0.87), respectively, while for JAAM-DIC it was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.57-0.85) and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.28-0.65), respectively. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for SIC were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.57-0.82) and 0.49 (95% CI: 0.31-0.66), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The SIC and JAAM-DIC scores exhibited higher sensitivity to identify patients with coagulopathy and predict patient outcomes, and thus are valuable to identify patients for possible treatment at an early stage. The ISTH-DIC score perhaps identified patients at later stages and demonstrated better specificity to predict disease outcomes. Thus, early identification of patients using the SIC and JAAM-DIC scores and later confirmation using the ISTH-DIC score would be beneficial approach for improved management of patients with sepsis.

Association between hypomagnesemia and coagulopathy in sepsis: a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Hypomagnesemia reportedly has significant associations with poor clinical outcomes such as increased mortality and septic shock in patients with sepsis. Although the mechanism underlying these outcomes mostly remains unclear, some experimental data suggest that magnesium deficiency could potentiate coagulation activation in sepsis. However, in sepsis, the association between serum magnesium levels and coagulopathy, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum magnesium levels and coagulation status and the association between hypomagnesemia and DIC in patients with sepsis.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study was conducted at the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital from June 2011 to December 2017. Patients older than 19 years who met the Sepsis-3 definition were included. We categorized patients into three groups according to their serum magnesium levels: hypomagnesemia (< 1.6 mg/dL), normal serum magnesium level (1.6-2.4 mg/dL), and hypermagnesemia (> 2.4 mg/dL). We investigated the association between serum magnesium levels and overt DIC at the time of ICU admission according to the criteria of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

RESULTS

Among 753 patients included in this study, 181 had DIC, 105 had hypomagnesemia, 552 had normal serum magnesium levels, and 96 had hypermagnesemia. Patients with hypomagnesemia had a more activated coagulation status indicated by lower platelet counts, lower fibrinogen levels, higher prothrombin time-international normalized ratios, higher thrombin-antithrombin complex, and more frequent DIC than those with normal serum magnesium levels and hypermagnesemia (DIC: 41.9% vs. 20.6% vs. 24.0%, P < 0.001). The coagulation status in patients with hypomagnesemia was more augmented toward suppressed fibrinolysis than that in patients with normal serum magnesium levels and hypermagnesemia. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that hypomagnesemia was independently associated with DIC (odds ratio, 1.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.84; P = 0.048) after adjusting for several confounding variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with hypomagnesemia had a significantly activated coagulation status and suppressed fibrinolysis. Hypomagnesemia was independently associated with DIC in patients with sepsis. Therefore, the treatment of hypomagnesemia may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of coagulopathy in sepsis.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Sepsis and Associated Factors

Background: sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by an excessive host immunological response to infection. The incidence of sepsis is increasing every year, and sepsis is the primary cause of mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). DIC is a coagulopathy syndrome that causes microvascular and macrovascular thrombosis and increases the risk of bleeding due to consumptive coagulopathy. The pathophysiology of DIC in sepsis is complex, and further research is required to investigate the involved mechanisms and risk factors. Method: this study is a prognostic analysis of a retrospective cohort. Samples were patients diagnosed with sepsis and admitted to Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital from January 2016 to October 2022. Research subjects were followed until occurrence of DIC during sepsis or recovery from sepsis. The research subjects were selected from medical records using a consecutive total sampling approach. The inclusion criteria were patients aged ≥18 years old and diagnosed with sepsis according to qSOFA criteria with a score of 2. The exclusion criterion was an incomplete medical record. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine which independent variables contributed to the incidence of DIC and obtain the odds ratios (ORs). p < 0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. Results: a total of 248 patients were included after considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 50 (20.2%) septic patients developed DIC. In the multivariate analysis, albumin ≤2.5 g/dL (OR: 2.363; 95% CI: 1.201−4.649), respiratory infection (OR: 2.414; 95% CI: 1.046−5.571), and antibiotic treatment ≥1 h (OR: 2.181; 95% CI: 1.014−4.689) were associated with DIC development. On the basis of the ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) was determined to be 0.705 with 95% CI = (0.631−0.778). Conclusion: in our study, the prevalence of DIC in septic patients was 20.2%. Low albumin, respiratory infection, and antibiotic treatment ≥1 h were found to be risk factors for development of DIC in septic patients.

Temporal Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Hospitalizations With Sepsis

Background

This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the temporal trends, predictors, and impact of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) on outcomes among septicemic patients using a nationally representative database.

Methods

We derived data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for the years 2008-2017 for adult hospitalizations due to sepsis. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and discharge to facility. The Cochran-Armitage test and multivariable survey logistic regression models were used to analyze the data.

Results

Out of 12,820,000 hospitalizations due to sepsis, 153,181 (1.18%) were complicated by DIC. The incidence of DIC decreased from 2008 to 2017. In multivariable regression analysis, demographics and comorbidities were associated with higher odds of DIC. During the study period, in-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis decreased, but the attributable risk percent of in-hospital mortality due to DIC increased. We observed similar trends for discharge to facility; however, the adjusted odds of discharge to facility due to DIC remained stable over the study period.

Conclusion

Although the incidence of sepsis complicated by DIC decreased, the attributable in-hospital mortality rate due to DIC increased during the study period. We identified several predictors associated with the development of DIC in sepsis, some of which are potentially modifiable.

Oxygen therapy for sepsis and prevention of complications

Patients with sepsis have a wide range of respiratory disorders that can be treated with oxygen therapy. Experimental data in animal sepsis models show that oxygen therapy significantly increases survival, while clinical data on the use of different oxygen therapy protocols are ambiguous. Oxygen therapy, especially hyperbaric oxygenation, in patients with sepsis can aggravate existing oxidative stress and contribute to the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation. The purpose of this article is to compare experimental and clinical data on oxygen therapy in animals and humans, to discuss factors that can influence the results of oxygen therapy for sepsis treatment in humans, and to provide some recommendations for reducing oxidative stress and preventing disseminated intravascular coagulation during oxygen therapy.

Divergent Sepsis Pathophysiology in Older Adults

Significance: Both incidence and mortality rates of sepsis significantly increase with advanced age, and the majority of sepsis patients are late middle-aged or older. With the proportion of older adults rapidly increasing in developed countries, age-dependent sepsis vulnerability is an urgent medical issue. Due to an increasing life expectancy, postsepsis complications and health care costs are expected to increase as well. Recent Advances: Older patients suffer from higher sepsis incidence and mortality rates, likely resulting from frequent comorbidities, increased coagulation, dysgylcemia, and altered immune responses. Critical Issues: Despite a large number of ongoing clinical and basic research studies, there is currently no effective therapeutic strategy targeting older patients with severe sepsis. The disparity between clinical and basic studies is a problem, and this is largely due to the use of animal models lacking clinical relevance. Although the majority of sepsis cases occur in older adults, most laboratory animals used for sepsis research are very young. Further, despite the wide use of combination fluid and antibiotic treatment in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, most animal research does not include such treatment. Future Directions: Because sepsis is a systemic disease with multiple organ dysfunction, combined therapy approaches, not those targeting single pathways or single organs, are essential. As for preclinical research, it is critical to confirm new findings using aged animal models with clinically relevant ICU-like medical treatments. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 35, 1358-1375.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy in Critically Ill Patients in Amman, Jordan

BACKGROUND

The disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is under-recognized in critically ill patients. The International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH; DIC) provides a useful scoring system for accurate DIC identification. The study investigated the period prevalence of ISTH DIC from 2015 to 2017 in critically ill patients.

METHODS

In this multi-center, retrospective observational study, we included all patients identified with a DIC code or medically diagnosed with DIC during all admissions. Based on ISTH DIC scores ≥ 5, patients were classified with overt DIC.

RESULTS

A total of 220 patients were included in this study. The period prevalence of DIC was 4.45%. The point prevalence of DIC has increased from 3.49% to 5.58% from 2015 to 2017 (27.7% female; median age 61.6 years). Based on the ISTH-Overt DIC criteria, 45.2% of the sample had sepsis. Overt DIC patients had significantly lower baseline hemoglobin (HB; t = 2.137, df = 193, p = 0.034), platelet count (t = 3.591, df = 193, p < 0.001) and elevated serum creatinine level (M = 2.1, SD = 1.5, t = 2.203, df = 193, p = 0.029) compared to non-Overt DIC. There was a statistically significant elevation in FDPs among Overt DIC compared to non-Overt DIC (χ² = 30.381, df = 1, p < 0.001). Overt DIC patients had significantly prolonged PT (U = 2,298, z = 5.7, p < 0.001), PTT (U = 2,334, z = 2.0, p = 0.045) and INR (U = 2,541, z = 5.1, p < 0.001) compared to those with non-Overt DIC.

CONCLUSION

The ISTH overt-DIC score can be used in critically ill patients regardless of the underlying disease. Efforts are required to predict and identify overt DIC using a valid scoring system on admission and follow-up of adult patients admitted to ICU.

Is Acetylsalicylic Acid a Safe and Potentially Useful Choice for Adult Patients with COVID-19 ?

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 is responsible for the current pandemic that has led to more than 10 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) and over 500,000 deaths worldwide (4 July 2020). Virus-mediated injury to multiple organs, mainly the respiratory tract, activation of immune response with the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and overactivation of the coagulation cascade and platelet aggregation leading to micro- and macrovascular thrombosis are the main pathological features of COVID-19. Empirical multidrug therapeutic approaches to treat COVID-19 are currently used with extremely uncertain outcomes, and many others are being tested in clinical trials. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has both anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects. In addition, a significant ASA-mediated antiviral activity against DNA and RNA viruses, including different human coronaviruses, has been documented. The use of ASA in patients with different types of infections has been associated with reduced thrombo-inflammation and lower rates of clinical complications and in-hospital mortality. However, safety issues related both to the risk of bleeding and to that of developing rare but serious liver and brain damage mostly among children (i.e., Reye's syndrome) should be considered. Hence, whether ASA might be a safe and reasonable therapeutic candidate to be tested in clinical trials involving adults with COVID-19 deserves further attention. In this review we provide a critical appraisal of current evidence on the anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and antiviral effects of ASA, from both a pre-clinical and a clinical perspective. In addition, the potential benefits and risks of use of ASA have been put in the context of the adult-restricted COVID-19 population.