Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the lactate/albumin (L/A) ratio as a predictive factor of 28-day mortality in critically ill sepsis patients. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study from a prospectively collected multicenter registry of 10 emergency departments (EDs) in teaching hospitals that participated in the Korean Shock Society. It enrolled patients who were 19 years of age or older who had a suspected or confirmed infection and evidence of refractory hypotension or hypoperfusion. The prognostic performance of the L/A ratio and lactate level for predicting 28-day mortality was assessed. Lactate and albumin levels were measured immediately after ED arrival. Results: A total of 946 patients were included, with 22.5% overall 28-day mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) value of the L/A ratio (0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64–0.73, P < 0.01) was higher than that of lactate (0.65, 95% CI 0.61–0.70, P < 0.01) for predicting 28-day mortality. The optimal cutoff of the L/A ratio was 1.32. The AUROC value of the L/A ratio was better than that of lactate regardless of lactate level (normal [<2.0 mmol/L]: 0.68 vs. 0.55; intermediate [≥2.0, < 4.0 mmol/L]: 0.65 vs. 0.50; high [≥4.0 mmol/L]: 0.66 vs. 0.62). In the subgroup with decreased lactate elimination, the AUROC value of the L/A ratio was also significantly higher than that of lactate (hepatic dysfunction: 0.70 vs. 0.66; renal dysfunction: 0.71 vs. 0.67). The L/A ratio cut-off and hypoalbminemia showed further discriminative value for 28-day mortality even in patients with normal or intermediate lactate levels. Conclusions: The prognostic performance of the L/A ratio was superior to that of a single lactate measurement for predicting 28-day mortality of critically ill sepsis patients. L/A ratio can be a useful prognostic factor regardless of initial lactate level and the presence of hepatic or renal dysfunction.

We evaluated the mean platelet volume (MPV) to platelet ratio to determine its significance as a prognostic marker for early mortality in critically ill patients with suspected sepsis receiving early goal-directed therapy (EGDT). We retrospectively reviewed the records from a prospective EGDT registry and screened eligible adult patients who were admitted to the emergency department (ED) with severe sepsis and/or septic shock. The MPV/platelet ratio was estimated as the MPV value divided by the platelet count on each day of hospitalization. The clinical outcome was 28-day mortality. We included 120 patients receiving EGDT. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, higher MPV/platelet ratios on admission (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.015–1.066; P = 0.002) and at 24 h (HR: 1.032; 95% CI: 1.012–1.054; P = 0.002) were significant risk factors for mortality at 28 days. An increased trend for 28-day mortality was associated with a MPV/platelet ratio >3.71 on admission (HR: 4.274; 95% CI: 1.228–14.874; P = 0.023) and a higher MPV/platelet ratio (>6.49) at 24 h (HR: 2.719; 95% CI: 1.048–7.051; P = 0.04) in patients with severe sepsis receiving EGDT. In our study, MPV or platelet count alone did not predict shock and 28-day mortality in patients with severe sepsis receiving EGDT. However, the MPV/platelet ratio at ED admission and on day 1 is a promising prognostic marker for 28-day mortality in patients with severe sepsis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and their combination for mortality in patients with septic shock. This multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted between November 2015 and December 2017. A total of 1,772 septic shock patients were included, and the overall 28-day mortality was 20.7%. Although both CRP and PCT were elevated in the non-survivor group, only CRP had statistical significance (11.9 mg/dL vs. 14.7 mg/dL, p = 0.003, 6.4 ng/mL vs. 8.2 ng/mL, p = 0.508). Multivariate analysis showed that CRP and PCT were not independent prognostic markers. In the subgroup analysis of the CRP and PCT combination matrix using their optimal cut-off values (CRP 14.0 mg/dL, PCT 17.0 ng/dL), both CRP and PCT elevated showed significantly higher mortality (Odds ratio 1.552 [95% Confidence intervals 1.184–2.035]) than both CRP and PCT not elevated (p = 0.001) and only PCT elevated (p = 0.007). However, both CRP and PCT elevated was also not an independent predictor in multivariate analysis. Initial levels of CRP and PCT alone and their combinations in septic shock patients had a limitation to predict 28-day mortality. Future research is needed to determine new biomarkers for early prognostication in patients with septic shock.