• Arturo Artero, Rafael Zaragoza, Juan J Camarena, Susana Sancho, Rosa González, and José M Nogueira.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Dr Peset Av Gaspar Aguilar 90, 46017 Valencia, Spain. arturo.artero@uv.es
• J Crit Care. 2010 Jun 1;25(2):276-81.

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine the independent risk factors on mortality in patients with community-acquired severe sepsis and septic shock.MethodsA single-site prospective cohort study was carried out in a medical-surgical intensive care unit in an academic tertiary care center. One hundred twelve patients with community-acquired bloodstream infection with severe sepsis and septic shock were identified. Clinical, microbiologic, and laboratory parameters were compared between hospital survivors and hospital deaths.ResultsOne-hundred twelve patients were included. The global mortality rate was 41.9%, 44.5% in septic shock and 34.4% in severe sepsis. One or more comorbidities were present in 66% of patients. The most commonly identified bloodstream pathogens were Escherichia coli (25%) and Staphylococcus aureus (21.4%). The proportion of patients receiving inadequate antimicrobial treatment was 8.9%. By univariate analysis, age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, at least 3 organ dysfunctions, and albumin, but neither microbiologic characteristics nor site of infection, differed significantly between survivors and nonsurvivors. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.21) and albumin (odds ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.76) were independent risk factors associated with global mortality in logistic regression analysis.ConclusionIn addition to the severity of illness, hypoalbuminemia was identified as the most important prognostic factor in community-acquired bloodstream infection with severe sepsis and septic shock.Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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