Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34876007›Full record

ArticleBMC emergency medicine2021

Prognostic scores and early management of septic patients in the emergency department of a secondary hospital: results of a retrospective study.

GianLuca Colussi, Giacomo Perrotta, Pierpaolo Pillinini, Alessia G Dibenedetto, Andrea Da Porto, Cristiana Catena, Leonardo A Sechi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Predictive Value of SAPS II for 28-Day All-Cause Mortality in AECOPD Patients Admitted to the ICU.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026
    Article
  5. Observational
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

GianLuca ColussiDivision of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 1st floor, Building n.8, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 1, 33100, Udine, UD, Italy. gianluca.colussi@uniud.it.ORCID 0000-0003-1673-540X
Giacomo PerrottaDivision of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 1st floor, Building n.8, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 1, 33100, Udine, UD, Italy.
Pierpaolo PillininiEmergency Department, San Antonio Abate Hospital, ASUFC, 33028, Tolmezzo, Italy.
Alessia G DibenedettoEmergency Department, San Antonio Abate Hospital, ASUFC, 33028, Tolmezzo, Italy.
Andrea Da PortoDivision of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 1st floor, Building n.8, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 1, 33100, Udine, UD, Italy.
Cristiana CatenaDivision of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 1st floor, Building n.8, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 1, 33100, Udine, UD, Italy.
Leonardo A SechiDivision of Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 1st floor, Building n.8, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 1, 33100, Udine, UD, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and other illness prognostic scores predict adverse outcomes in critical patients. Their validation as a decision-making tool in the emergency department (ED) of secondary hospitals is not well established. The aim of this study was to compare SOFA, NEWS2, APACHE II, and SAPS II scores as predictors of adverse outcomes and decision-making tool in ED.

methodsData of 121 patients (age 73 ± 10 years, 58% males, Charlson Comorbidity Index 5.7 ± 2.1) with a confirmed sepsis were included in a retrospective study between January 2017 and February 2020. Scores were computed within the first 24 h after admission. Primary outcome was the occurrence of either in-hospital death or mechanical ventilation within 7 days. Secondary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality.

resultsPatients older than 64 years (elderly) represent 82% of sample. Primary and secondary outcomes occurred in 40 and 44%, respectively. Median 30-day survival time of dead patients was 4 days (interquartile range 1-11). The best predictive score based on the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) was SAPS II (0.823, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.744-0.902), followed by APACHE II (0.762, 95% CI 0.673-0.850), NEWS2 (0.708, 95% CI 0.616-0.800), and SOFA (0.650, 95% CI 0.548-0.751). SAPS II cut-off of 49 showed the lowest false-positive rate (12, 95% CI 5-20) and the highest positive predictive value (80, 95% CI 68-92), whereas NEWS2 cut-off of 7 showed the lowest false-negative rate (10, 95% CI 2-19) and the highest negative predictive value (86, 95% CI 74-97). By combining NEWS2 and SAPS II cut-offs, we accurately classified 64% of patients. In survival analysis, SAPS II cut-off showed the highest difference in 30-day mortality (Hazards Ratio, HR, 5.24, 95% CI 2.99-9.21, P < 0.001). Best independent negative predictors of 30-day mortality were body temperature, mean arterial pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, and hematocrit levels. Positive predictors were male sex, heart rate and serum sodium concentration.

conclusionsSAPS II is a good prognostic tool for discriminating high-risk patient suitable for sub-intensive/intensive care units, whereas NEWS2 for discriminating low-risk patients for low-intensive units. Our results should be limited to cohorts with a high prevalence of elderly or comorbidities.

Indexed as

Intensive Care UnitsSepsisAgedAged, 80 and overEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHospital MortalityHospitalsHumansMaleMiddle AgedOxygen SaturationPrognosisRetrospective StudiesROC CurveAPACHE IINEWS2ROC curveSAPS IISOFASurvival analysis

Identifiers

PMID34876007
PMCPMC8650550

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.