• Ralf Erkens, Bernhard Wernly, Maryna Masyuk, Johanna M Muessig, Marcus Franz, Paul Christian Schulze, Michael Lichtenauer, Malte Kelm, and Christian Jung.
• Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
• Med Princ Pract. 2020 Jan 1; 29 (4): 389-395.

IntroductionBody temperature (BT) abnormalities are frequently observed in critically ill patients. We aimed to assess admission BT in a heterogeneous critically ill patient population admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) as a prognostic parameter for intra-ICU and long-term mortality.MethodsA total of 6,514 medical patients (64 ± 15 years) admitted to a German ICU between 2004 and 2009 were included. A follow-up of patients was performed retrospectively. The association of admission BT with both intra-ICU and long-term mortality was investigated by logistic regression.ResultsPatients with hypothermia (<36°C BT) were clinically worse and had more pronounced signs of multi-organ failure. Admission BT was associated with adverse overall outcome, with a 2-fold increase for hyperthermia (mortality 12%; odds ratio [OR] 1.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43-2.26; p < 0.001), and a 4-fold increase for the risk of hypothermia (mortality 24%; OR 4.05, 95% CI 3.38-4.85; p < 0.001) with respect to intra-ICU and long-term mortality. Moreover, hypothermia was even more harmful than hyperthermia, and both were strongly associated with intra-ICU mortality, especially in patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (hypothermia: hazard ratio 6.12, 95% CI 4.12-9.11; p < 0.001; hyperthermia: OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.52-4.79; p< 0.001).ConclusionAdmission BT is an independent risk predictor for both overall intra-ICU and long-term mortality in critically ill patients admitted to an ICU. Therefore, BT at admission might not only serve as a parameter for individual risk stratification but can also influence individual therapeutic decision-making.© 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

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