Relationship of Nutritional Status and Sepsis Mortality

Abstract

Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of death among hospitalized patients. Nutritional status was found to have an impact on survival and death rate of critically ill patients. Malnutrition is associated with treatment failure in critically ill patients. It is associated with organ failure, an increased risk of complications and death. Objective: This research aimed to study the relationship between nutritional status and sepsis mortality and to find factors associated with sepsis mortality. Method: This was a retrospective descriptive study of sepsis patients screened for nutritional status during 2019 in Rajavithi Hospital. Result: Of the 808 patients diagnosed with sepsis, of whom 400 died (49.5%). Nutritional status was not found to be associated with sepsis mortality, and malnutrition was not a risk factor for sepsis mortality. Factors associated with sepsis mortality included: patients over 60 years old were more than twice as likely to die as those aged 40 or younger. Patients with septic shock were four times more likely to die than patients without septic shock. Patients who received parenteral nutrition (PN) and patients who received both PN and enteral nutrition (EN) were almost four times more likely to die than patients who did not receive any nutrition support. Patients with kidney disease were twice more likely to die than patients without kidney disease. Patients with cancer were almost twice more likely to die than patients without cancer. Patients who received vancomycin and colistin were 1.67 and 1.9 times more likely to die, respectively, than those who did not receive the drugs. Conversely, mortality rates dropped by 40% and 51% in patients treated with quinolone and metronidazole, respectively. Conclusion: Nutritional status is not associated with mortality in sepsis. Factors associated with sepsis mortality are receiving PN, age>60, septic shock, cancer, CKD, and treatment with vancomycin, colistin, fluoroquinolone, and metronidazole.