• Noomi Mueller, Sushila Murthy, Christopher R Tainter, Jarone Lee, Kathleen Riddell, Florian J Fintelmann, Stephanie D Grabitz, Fanny P Timm, Benjamin Levi, Tobias Kurth, and Matthias Eikermann.
• *Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA†Departments of Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care, University of California, San Diego, CA‡Departments of Surgery and Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA§Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA¶Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI||Inserm Research Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (U897)-Team Neuroepidemiology, University of Bordeaux, College of Health Sciences, Bordeaux, France**University of Bordeaux, College of Health Sciences, Bordeaux, France††Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
• Ann. Surg. 2016 Dec 1; 264 (6): 1116-1124.

ObjectiveTo compare sarcopenia and frailty for outcome prediction in surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients.BackgroundFrailty has been associated with adverse outcomes and describes a status of muscle weakness and decreased physiological reserve leading to increased vulnerability to stressors. However, frailty assessment depends on patient cooperation. Sarcopenia can be quantified by ultrasound and the predictive value of sarcopenia at SICU admission for adverse outcome has not been defined.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, observational study of SICU patients. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by ultrasound measurement of rectus femoris cross-sectional area. Frailty was diagnosed by the Frailty Index Questionnaire based on 50 variables. Relationship between variables and outcomes was assessed by multivariable regression analysis NCT02270502.ResultsSarcopenia and frailty were quantified in 102 patients and observed in 43.1% and 38.2%, respectively. Sarcopenia predicted adverse discharge disposition (discharge to nursing facility or in-hospital mortality, odds ratio 7.49; 95% confidence interval 1.47-38.24; P = 0.015) independent of important clinical covariates, as did frailty (odds ratio 8.01; 95% confidence interval 1.82-35.27; P = 0.006); predictive ability did not differ between sarcopenia and frailty prediction model, reflected by χ values of 21.74 versus 23.44, respectively, and a net reclassification improvement (NRI) of -0.02 (P = 0.87). Sarcopenia and frailty predicted hospital length of stay and the frailty model had a moderately better predictive accuracy for this outcome.ConclusionsBedside diagnosis of sarcopenia by ultrasound predicts adverse discharge disposition in SICU patients equally well as frailty. Sarcopenia assessed by ultrasound may be utilized as rapid beside modality for risk stratification of critically ill patients.

22 keywords...

hide…