BACKGROUND: The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria have not been validated in patients with hematologic malignancies (HM). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether daily assessment of SIRS criteria allows early identification of HM patients who will develop septic shock (SS). DESIGN: Observational, single-center,nested case-control study. SETTING: Oncology unit of a tertiary care center. PATIENTS: 547 consecutive, hospitalized, HM subject were enrolled. Using incidence-density sampling, 184 controls were matched to 46 SS cases. MEASUREMENTS: The study exposure was the SIRS score. The study outcome was the development of SS during the hospitalization. MAIN RESULTS: 8.4% of subjects developed SS. SIRS scores measured 24 hours prior to SS were significantly higher in cases than in controls (2.1 vs. 1.4,p<0.0001). Using standard SIRS cutpoints, fever, tachypnea and tachycardia were each associated with the onset of SS. Population-specific SIRS criteria were empirically derived. LIMITATIONS: Single-center study. Further validation is warranted. CONCLUSIONS: SIRS can identify HM patients at risk for SS at least 24 hours before SS onset. These data may lead to evidence-based guidelines using routine vital signs to risk-stratify HM patients for SS.
BACKGROUND: The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria have not been validated in patients with hematologic malignancies (HM). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether daily assessment of SIRS criteria allows early identification of HM patients who will develop septic shock (SS). DESIGN: Observational, single-center,nested case-control study. SETTING: Oncology unit of a tertiary care center. PATIENTS: 547 consecutive, hospitalized, HM subject were enrolled. Using incidence-density sampling, 184 controls were matched to 46 SS cases. MEASUREMENTS: The study exposure was the SIRS score. The study outcome was the development of SS during the hospitalization. MAIN RESULTS: 8.4% of subjects developed SS. SIRS scores measured 24 hours prior to SS were significantly higher in cases than in controls (2.1 vs. 1.4,p<0.0001). Using standard SIRS cutpoints, fever, tachypnea and tachycardia were each associated with the onset of SS. Population-specific SIRS criteria were empirically derived. LIMITATIONS: Single-center study. Further validation is warranted. CONCLUSIONS: SIRS can identify HM patients at risk for SS at least 24 hours before SS onset. These data may lead to evidence-based guidelines using routine vital signs to risk-stratify HM patients for SS.
Authors: Franz Ratzinger; Katharina Eichbichler; Michael Schuardt; Irene Tsirkinidou; Dieter Mitteregger; Helmuth Haslacher; Thomas Perkmann; Klaus G Schmetterer; Georg Doffner; Heinz Burgmann Journal: Infection Date: 2015-04-04 Impact factor: 3.553