Ja. Claridge et al., Persistent occult hypoperfusion is associated with a significant increase in infection rate and mortality in major trauma patients, J TRAUMA, 48(1), 2000, pp. 8-14
Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that occult hypoperfusion (OH) is
associated with infectious episodes in major trauma patients.
Methods: Data were collected prospectively on all adult trauma patients adm
itted to the Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit from November of 1996 to D
ecember of 1998, Treatment was managed by a single physician according to a
defined resuscitation protocol directed at correcting OH (lactic acid [LA]
> 2.4 mmol/L).
Results: Of a total of 381 consecutive patients, 118 never developed OH and
263 patients exhibited OH, Seventeen patients were excluded because their
LA never corrected. and they all subsequently died. One hundred seventy-six
infectious episodes occurred in 97 of the 364 patients remaining, The infe
ction rate in patients with no elevation of LA was 13.6% (n = 118) compared
with 12.7% (n = 110) in patients whose LA corrected by 12 hours, 40.5% (n
= 79; p < 0.01 compared with all other groups) in patients whose LA correct
ed between 12 and 24 hours, and 65.9% (n = 57; p < 0.01 compared with all o
ther groups) in patients who corrected after 24 hours. Among the patients w
ith infections, there were 276 infection sites with 42% of infections invol
ving the lung and 21% involving bacteremia, There was no difference in prop
ortion of infections occurring at each site between groups. The mortality r
ate of patients n ho developed infections was 7.9% versus 1.9% in patients
without infections (p < 0.05), Of the patients who developed infections, 69
.8% versus 25.8% (p < 0.001) did not have their lactate levels normalized w
ithin 12 hours of emergency room admission. Logistic regression demonstrate
d that both the Injury Severity Score and OH > 12 hours were independently
predictive of infection.
Conclusion: A clear increase in infections occurred in patients with OH who
se lactate levels did not correct by 12 hours, with an associated increase
in length of stay, days in surgical/trauma intensive care unit, hospital ch
arges, and mortality.