Association between measures of resuscitation in the critical care resuscitation unit and in-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis

Objectives

We hypothesized that lactate clearance and reduction of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score during patients’ critical care resuscitation unit (CCRU) stay would be associated with lower in-hospital mortality.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of adult patients who had sepsis diagnoses and were admitted to the CCRU in 2018. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of clinical factors, lactate clearance, and SOFA reduction with hospital mortality.

Results

A total of 401 patients with lactate clearance data and 455 patients with SOFA score data were included in the study. The mean (SD) lactate and SOFA score on admission were 2.2 (1.8) mmol/L and 4.4 (4.3), respectively. Average lactate clearance was 0.1 (2.6) mmol/L, and average SOFA score reduction was 0.65 (5.9). Patients with a one point reduction in SOFA score during their CCRU stay had a 31% reduction of mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.77, p < 0.001). SOFA score reduction was associated with lower hospital mortality for both surgical patients (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.58–0.81, p < 0.001) and non-surgical patients (OR 0.71 95% CI 0.06–0.83, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

SOFA score reduction, but not lactate clearance during the CCRU stay, was associated with lower odds of in-hospital mortality. These findings suggest that resuscitative efforts leading to an early improvement in SOFA score may benefit patients with sepsis.