Controlling for Severity of Illness in Assessment of the Association Between Antimicrobial-Resistant Infection and Mortality: Impact of Calculation of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II Scores at Different Time Points

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 832-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith W. Hamilton ◽  
Warren B. Bilker ◽  
Ebbing Lautenbach

Background.In studies of the association between antibiotic-resistant infection and mortality, the importance of controlling for the underlying severity of illness is well recognized. However, it is unclear when the severity of illness should be assessed. Controlling for severity of illness on the day the culture specimen is obtained may underestimate the true association between resistance and mortality.Objective.TO assess the impact of calculating the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score at different time points on the association between antimicrobial resistance and mortality.Methods.We used an existing data set from a study that investigated the association between fluoroquinolone resistance and mortality. The APACHE II score was calculated at 3 time points: the day the culture specimen was obtained, 1 day before the culture specimen was obtained, and 2 days before the culture specimen was obtained. Separate multivariable models were constructed using the 3 different APACHE II scores. These models were compared qualitatively.Results.Of 91 total subjects, 51 were infected with a fluoroquinolone-resistant strain and 40 with a fluoroquinolone-susceptible strain. The median APACHE II score for all subjects was 13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 11-15) when calculated on the day the culture specimen was obtained, 12 (95% CI, 11-13) when calculated 1 day before, and 11 (95% CI, 10-13) when calculated 2 days before the culture specimen was obtained. Of 91 subjects, 12 (13.2%) died. The 3 multivariable models (each with the APACHE II score calculated on a different day) were not substantively different; the adjusted odds ratio for the association between fluoroquinolone-resistant infection and mortality varied only from 1.38 to 1.65 in the 3 models.Conclusions.APACHE II scores calculated at different time points relative to obtainment of the culture specimen did not differ substantively. Furthermore, when the adjusted association between fluoroquinolone resistance and mortality was assessed, there were no substantive differences across multivariable models that incorporated APACHE II scores calculated at different time points.

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 558-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Stevens ◽  
Thomas P. Lodise ◽  
Brian Tsuji ◽  
Meagan Stringham ◽  
Jill Butterfield ◽  
...  

Objective.Bloodstream infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been associated with significant risk of in-hospital mortality. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score was developed and validated for use among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, but its utility among non-ICU patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of APACHE II to predict death at multiple time points among ICU and non-ICU patients with MRSA bacteremia.Design.Retrospective cohort study.Participants.Secondary analysis of data from 200 patients with MRSA bacteremia at 2 hospitals.Methods.Logistic regression models were constructed to predict overall in-hospital mortality and mortality at 48 hours, 7 days, 14 days, and 30 days using APACHE II scores separately in ICU and non-ICU patients. The performance of APACHE II scores was compared with age adjustment alone among all patients. Discriminatory ability was assessed using the c-statistic and was compared at each time point using X2 tests. Model calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test.Results.APACHE II was a significant predictor of death at all time points in both ICU and non-ICU patients. Discrimination was high in all models, with c-statistics ranging from 0.72 to 0.84, and was similar between ICU and non-ICU patients at all time points. APACHE II scores significantly improved the prediction of overall and 48-hour mortality compared with age adjustment alone.Conclusions.The APACHE II score may be a valid tool to control for confounding or for the prediction of death among ICU and non-ICU patients with MRSA bacteremia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (43) ◽  
pp. 2458-2462
Author(s):  
Harjot Singh ◽  
Amit Kumar Ranjan ◽  
Ranjan Kumar

BACKGROUND Hypomagnesaemia is associated with other electrolyte abnormalities like hypokalaemia, hyponatremia, and hypophosphatemia. We wanted to study the serum magnesium levels in critically ill patients, and correlate the serum magnesium levels with patient outcome and other parameters like duration of stay in ICU, ventilator support and APACHE-II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II) score. METHODS The study included all the cases admitted in the ICU of Narayan Medical College & Hospital, with variable medical conditions within 6 months fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Demographic data (age and sex), medical history, surgical history, medications administrated and length of ICU stay were recorded for each patient. The severity scoring system used was Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE-II). RESULTS Prevalence of Hypomagnesaemia in the present study was 60.2 %. Mortality and mechanical ventilator support (2.7 % and 28.4 %) in normomagnesemia subjects were significantly lesser than hypomagnesaemia subjects (33.9 % and 54.5 % respectively). CONCLUSIONS Hypomagnesaemia is a common electrolyte imbalance in critically ill patients. It is associated with higher mortality and morbidity in critically ill patients and is also associated with more frequent and more prolonged ventilatory support. KEYWORDS Critically Ill, Hypomagnesaemia, APACHE-II Score, Mortality, Ventilator Support


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
pp. 1261-1269
Author(s):  
Robert D. Becher ◽  
Michael C. Chang ◽  
J. Jason Hoth ◽  
Jennifer L. Kendall ◽  
H. Randall Beard ◽  
...  

The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score has never been validated to risk-adjust between critically ill trauma (TICU) and general surgical (SICU) intensive care unit patients, yet it is commonly used for such a purpose. To study this, we evaluated risk of death in TICU and SICU patients with pneumonia. We hypothesized that mortality for a given APACHE II would be significantly different and that using APACHE II to directly compare TICU and SICU patients would not be appropriate. We conducted a retrospective review of patients admitted to the TICU or SICU at a tertiary medical center over an 18-month period with pneumonia. Admission APACHE II scores, in-hospital mortality, demographics, and illness characteristics were recorded. One hundred eighty patients met inclusion criteria, 116 in the TICU and 64 in the SICU. Average APACHE II scores were not significantly different in the TICU versus SICU (25 vs 24; P = 0.4607), indicating similar disease severity; overall mortality rates, however, were significantly different (24 vs 50%; P = 0.0004). Components of APACHE II, which contributed to this mortality differential, were Glasgow Coma Score, age, presence of chronic health problems, and operative intervention. APACHE II fails to provide a valid metric to directly compare the severity of disease between TICU and SICU patients with pneumonia. These groups represent distinct populations and should be separated when benchmarking outcomes or creating performance metrics in ICU patients. Improved severity scoring systems are needed to conduct clinically relevant and methodologically valid comparisons between these unique groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Chin Han Lew ◽  
Gabriel Jun Yung Wong ◽  
Chee Keat Tan ◽  
Michelle Miller

Background: The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) is used to quantify disease severity and hospital mortality risk in critically ill patients. It is widely used in intensive care units (ICUs) in Singapore, but its prognostic validity remains questionable as it has not been thoroughly assessed by established statistical methods. Objectives: This study aimed to: (a) evaluate the discrimination and calibration accuracy of the APACHE II in the prediction of hospital mortality in a mixed ICU, and (b) customise the APACHE II in an effort to maximise its prognostic performance. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted and all adult patients with >24 h of ICU admission in a tertiary care institution in Singapore were included. The outcome measure was hospital mortality, and all patients were followed-up until hospital discharge or death for up to one year after ICU admission. Results: There were 503 patients, and their mean (SD) age and APACHE II score were 61.2 (15.8) years and 24.5 (8.2), respectively. Hospital mortality was 31%, and no patients were lost to follow-up. The APACHE II has good discrimination (receiver operating characteristic: 0.76) but poor calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow C test: <0.001). Customisation did not significantly improve calibration accuracy. Conclusions: The APACHE II and its customised version should not be used in the local setting as they both have poor calibration. There is an urgent need for larger studies to perform second-level customisation or to develop a new prognostic model tailored to the Singapore critical care setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1776
Author(s):  
Sanjana Kumar ◽  
Jainendra K. Arora ◽  
Sunil Kumar Jain

Background: Despite the surgical treatment, sophisticated intensive care units, latest generation antibiotics and a better understanding of pathophysiology, the morbidity and mortality rate of perforation peritonitis are still high. Patients are usually managed by subjective decision of surgeon based on which mortality is very high.Methods: This was a double-blind observational study conducted over a period of 18 months on 50 patients with small bowel perforations. Based on the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score at presentation, patients were triaged into 3 groups: group 1 (score ≤10), group 2 (score 11 to 20) and group 3 (score >20). Study population was managed by the subjective decision of the operating surgeon who was blinded off the APACHE II score of patients. Hence removing the possibility of bias and observing a correlation between surgical outcome and APACHE II score of the patient.Results: Patients with higher APACHE II score (>10) were more likely to undergo exteriorization of bowel. Length of hospital stay was also found to be increased with an increase in score. APACHE II score of 10 was found to predict mortality with significant difference between 2 groups. Below this score the mortality was 0% and above this score the mortality rate rose to 31.25%.Conclusions: APACHE II can be used as a reliable and uniform scoring system as its assessment at presentation in patients of small bowel perforations provides an insight to their surgical management as well as predicting overall outcome. 


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