Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score Can Predict Mortality in Patients with Paraquat Intoxication

Introduction

Paraquat poisoning is characterized by multi-organ failure and pulmonary fibrosis with respiratory failure, resulting in high mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of mortality in cases of paraquat poisoning. Furthermore, we sought to determine the association between these parameters.

Methods

A total of 187 patients were referred for management of intentional paraquat ingestion between January 2000 and December 2010. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded. Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and acute kidney injury network (AKIN) scores were collected, and predictors of mortality were analyzed.

Results

Overall hospital mortality for the entire population was 54% (101/187). Using a multivariate logistic regression model, it was found that age, time to hospitalization, blood paraquat level, estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission (eGFR _{first day}), and the SOFA_48-h score, but not the AKIN_48-h score, were significant predictors of mortality. For predicting the in-hospital mortality, SOFA_48-h scores displayed a good area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) (0.795±0.033, P<0.001). The cumulative survival rate differed significantly between patients with SOFA_48-h scores <3 and those ≥3 (P<0.001). A modified SOFA (mSOFA) score was further developed by using the blood paraquat level, and this new score also demonstrated a better AUROC (0.848±0.029, P<0.001) than the original SOFA score. Finally, the cumulative survival rate also differed significantly between patients with mSOFA scores <4 and ≥4 (P<0.001).

Conclusion

The analytical data demonstrate that SOFA and mSOFA scores, which are based on the extent of organ function or rate of organ failure, help to predict mortality after intentional paraquat poisoning.     

Association of Urinary Cadmium with Mortality in Patients at a Coronary Care Unit

Background

Determine the effect of the day 1 urinary excretion of cadmium (D1-UE-Cd) on mortality of patients admitted to a coronary care unit (CCU).

Methods

A total of 323 patients were enrolled in this 6-month study. Urine and blood samples were taken within 24 h after CCU admission. Demographic data, clinical diagnoses, and hospital mortality were recorded. The scores of established systems for prediction of mortality in critically ill patients were calculated.

Results

Compared with survivors (n = 289), non-survivors (n = 34) had higher levels of D1-UE-Cd. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that D1-UE-Cd was positively associated with pulse rate and level of aspartate aminotransferase, but negatively associated with serum albumin level. Multivariate Cox analysis, with adjustment for other significant variables and measurements from mortality scoring systems, indicated that respiratory rate and D1-UE-Cd were independent and significant predictors of mortality. For each 1 μg/day increase of D1-UE-Cd, the hazard ratio for CCU mortality was 3.160 (95% confidence interval: 1.944–5.136, p < 0.001). The chi-square value of Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test for D1-UE-Cd was 10.869 (p = 0.213). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for D1-UE-Cd was 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.81–0.93).

Conclusions

The D1-UE-Cd, an objective variable with no inter-observer variability, accurately predicted hospital mortality of CCU patients and outperformed other established scoring systems. Further studies are needed to determine the physiological mechanism of the effect of cadmium on mortality in CCU patients.     

Predictors of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Patients with Paraquat Intoxication

Introduction

Paraquat poisoning is characterized by acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, respiratory failure, and multi-organ failure, resulting in a high rate of mortality and morbidity. The objectives of this study were to identify predictors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in cases of paraquat poisoning and determine the association between these parameters.

Materials and Methods

In total, 187 patients were referred for management of intentional paraquat ingestion between 2000 and 2010. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded. Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) scores were collected, and predictors of ARDS were analyzed.

Results

The overall mortality rate for the entire population was 54% (101/187). Furthermore, the mortality rate was higher in the ARDS patients than in the non-ARDS patients (80% vs. 43.80%, P<0.001). Additionally, the ARDS patients not only had higher AKIN_48-h scores (P<0.009), SOFA_48-h scores (P<0.001), and time to ARDS/nadir PaO₂ (P=0.008) but also suffered from lower nadir PaO₂ (P<0.001), nadir AaDO₂ (P<0.001), and nadir eGFR (P=0.001) compared to those in the non-ARDS patients. Moreover, pneumomediastinum episodes were more frequent in the ARDS patients than in the non-ARDS patients (P<0.001). A multivariate Cox regression model revealed that blood paraquat concentrations (P<0.001), SOFA_48-h scores (P=0.001), and steroid and cyclophosphamide pulse therapies (P=0.024) were significant predictors of ARDS. The cumulative survival rates differed significantly (P<0.001) between patients with SOFA_48-h scores <3 and SOFA_48-h scores ≥3, with a sensitivity of 95.8%, specificity of 58.4%, and overall correctness of 67.6%. Finally, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) analysis showed that SOFA_48-h scores (P<0.001) had a better discriminatory power than blood paraquat concentrations (P=0.01) for predicting ARDS.

Conclusions

The analytical results indicate that SOFA_48-h scores, blood paraquat concentrations, and steroid and cyclophosphamide pulse therapies are significantly associated with ARDS complications after paraquat intoxication.     

Early keratectomy in the treatment of moderate fusarium keratitis

Purpose

To evaluate the treatment outcomes and costs of early keratectomy in the management of moderate Fusarium keratitis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Consecutive cases of culture proven Fusarium keratitis treated at our hospital between January 2004 to December 2010 were included in this retrospective study. There were 38 cases of moderate keratitis with infiltrates between 3 to 6 mm in diameter and depth of infiltration not exceeding the inner 1/3 of the cornea. After excluding 5 patients with incomplete follow-up data, 13 patients who received early keratectomy within 1 week of admission were compared with a group of 20 patients treated medically. The significance of the association between early keratectomy and visual acuity, progression to perforation, secondary glaucoma and cataract formation, adjuvant therapy, hospitalization days and cost were assessed. There were no differences between the keratectomy and medication groups in regards to age, sex, presence of systemic diseases, and hypopyon formation on presentation. The early keratectomy group had a shorter hospital stay than the medical therapy group. Disease duration was significantly lower in the early keratectomy group (median: 29.0 vs. 54.5 days, P<0.001). Median hospitalization costs per patient were lower with early keratectomy (mean ward fee: 15175.4 vs. 44159.5 NTD, P<0.001; mean donor fee: 0 vs. 900.0 NTD, P<0.001), primarily because of reductions in hospital stay. More patients in the medication group developed perforations than in the keratectomy group (20% vs. 0%, respectively) and the perforation-free rate was higher in those with early keratectomy, but the results were not statistically significant.

Conclusions/Significance

Early keratectomy in moderate Fusarium keratitis may reduce length of hospital stay, hospital costs, and perforation rates.     

Early Hemoperfusion May Improve Survival of Severely Paraquat-Poisoned Patients

Background

Thousands of paraquat (PQ)-poisoned patients continue to die, particularly in developing countries. Although animal studies indicate that hemoperfusion (HP) within 2−4 h after intoxication effectively reduces mortality, the effect of early HP in humans remains unknown.

Methods

We analyzed the records of all PQ-poisoned patients admitted to 2 hospitals between 2000 and 2009. Patients were grouped according to early or late HP and high-dose (oral cyclophosphamide [CP] and intravenous dexamethasone [DX]) or repeated pulse (intravenous methylprednisolone [MP] and CP, followed by DX and repeated MP and/or CP) PQ therapy. Early HP was defined as HP <4 h, and late HP, as HP ≥4 h after PQ ingestion. We evaluated the associations between HP <4 h, <5 h, <6 h, and <7 h after PQ ingestion and the outcomes. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and mortality data were analyzed.

Results

The study included 207 severely PQ-poisoned patients. Forward stepwise multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis showed that early HP <4 h (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16–0.86; P = 0.020) or HP <5 h (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.39–0.92; P = 0.019) significantly decreased the mortality risk. Further analysis showed that early HP reduced the mortality risk only in patients treated with repeated pulse therapy (n = 136), but not high-dose therapy (n = 71). Forward stepwise multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis showed that HP <4.0 h (HR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.05–0.79; P = 0.022) or <5.0 h (HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.24–0.98; P = 0.043) after PQ ingestion significantly decreased the mortality risk in repeated pulse therapy patients, after adjustment for relevant variables.

Conclusion

The results showed that early HP after PQ exposure might be effective in reducing mortality in severely poisoned patients, particularly in those treated with repeated pulse therapy.