Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of sepsis in surgical intensive care unit.
Methods: The clinical data of 645 intensive care unit cases, admitted during January 2003 to December 2004 in Shanghai Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, were analyzed. The incidence and mortality of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock, as well as the relationship between them, and age, sex were studied. The hospital stay time was compared among the patients with sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock and the patients without sepsis.
Results: The incidence of SIRS at the first day and second day in surgical intensive care unit was 63.7% and 49.8% respectively, while 74.3% of the cases developed SIRS in surgical intensive care unit. There was no death in non-SIRS group, while the mortality was 6.26% in SIRS group. The incidences of sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock were 27.0%, 10.9%, 7.0% respectively, and their mortality was 14.94%, 34.29%, 51.11% respectively. The elderly and the male had more chance to develop sepsis (both P<0.01). The sepsis group stayed longer in surgical intensive care unit than non-sepsis group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Sepsis is not uncommon in surgical intensive care unit and elderly and male are more susceptible to develop it and carry a poor prognosis. More attention should be given to sepsis in surgical intensive care unit.