Association of Household Income Level and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Sepsis: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Hospital-Onset Sepsis Warrants Expanded Investigation and Consideration as a Unique Clinical Entity

Sepsis causes more than a quarter million deaths among hospitalized adults in the United States each year. Although most cases of sepsis are present on admission, up to one-quarter of patients with sepsis develop this highly morbid and mortal condition while hospitalized. Compared with patients with community-onset sepsis (COS), patients with hospital-onset sepsis (HOS) are twice as likely to require mechanical ventilation and ICU admission, have more than two times longer ICU and hospital length of stay, accrue five times higher hospital costs, and are twice as likely to die. Patients with HOS differ from those with COS with respect to underlying comorbidities, admitting diagnosis, clinical manifestations of infection, and severity of illness. Despite the differences between these patient populations, patients with HOS sepsis are understudied and warrant expanded investigation. Here, we outline important knowledge gaps in the recognition and management of HOS in adults and propose associated research priorities for investigators. Of particular importance are questions regarding standardization of research and clinical case identification, understanding of clinical heterogeneity among patients with HOS, development of tailored management recommendations, identification of impactful prevention strategies, optimization of care delivery and quality metrics, identification and correction of disparities in care and outcomes, and how to ensure goal-concordant care for patients with HOS.

Association of socioeconomic deprivation with outcomes in critically ill adult patients: an observational prospective multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

The influence of socioeconomic deprivation on health inequalities is established, but its effect on critically ill patients remains unclear, due to inconsistent definitions in previous studies.

METHODS

Prospective multicenter cohort study conducted from March to June 2018 in eight ICUs in the Greater Paris area. All admitted patients aged ≥ 18 years were enrolled. Socioeconomic phenotypes were identified using hierarchical clustering, based on education, health insurance, income, and housing. Association of phenotypes with 180-day mortality was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

A total of 1,748 patients were included. Median age was 62.9 [47.4-74.5] years, 654 (37.4%) patients were female, and median SOFA score was 3 [1-6]. Study population was clustered in five phenotypes with increasing socioeconomic deprivation. Patients from phenotype A (n = 958/1,748, 54.8%) were without socioeconomic deprivation, patients from phenotype B (n = 273/1,748, 15.6%) had only lower education levels, phenotype C patients (n = 117/1,748, 6.7%) had a cumulative burden of 1[1-2] deprivations and all had housing deprivation, phenotype D patients had 2 [1-2] deprivations, all of them with income deprivation, and phenotype E patients (n = 93/1,748, 5.3%) included patients with 3 [2-4] deprivations and included all patients with health insurance deprivation. Patients from phenotypes D and E were younger, had fewer comorbidities, more alcohol and opiate use, and were more frequently admitted due to self-harm diagnoses. Patients from phenotype C (predominant housing deprivation), were more frequently admitted with diagnoses related to chronic respiratory diseases and received more non-invasive positive pressure ventilation. Following adjustment for age, sex, alcohol and opiate use, socioeconomic phenotypes were not associated with increased 180-day mortality: phenotype A (reference); phenotype B (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval CI 0.65-1.12); phenotype C (HR, 0.56; 95% CI 0.34-0.93); phenotype D (HR, 1.09; 95% CI 0.78-1.51); phenotype E (HR, 1.20; 95% CI 0.73-1.96).

CONCLUSIONS

In a universal health care system, the most deprived socioeconomic phenotypes were not associated with increased 180-day mortality. The most disadvantaged populations exhibit distinct characteristics and medical conditions that may be addressed through targeted public health interventions.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Readmission in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair

INTRODUCTION

We examined the association of socioeconomic status as defined by median household income quartile (MHIQ) with mortality and readmission patterns following open repair of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) in a nationally representative registry.

METHODS

Adults who underwent open repair of ATAAD were selected using the US Nationwide Readmissions Database and stratified by MHIQ. Patients were selected based on diagnostic and procedural codes. The primary endpoint was 30-d readmission.

RESULTS

Between 2016 and 2019, 10,288 individuals (65% male) underwent open repair for ATAAD. Individuals in the lowest income quartile were younger (median: 60 versus 64, P < 0.05) but had greater Elixhauser comorbidity burden (5.9 versus 5.7, P < 0.05). Across all groups, in-hospital mortality was approximately 15% (P = 0.35). On multivariable analysis adjusting for baseline comorbidity burden, low socioeconomic status was associated with increased readmission at 90 d, but not at 30 d. Concomitant renal disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.68; P < 0.001), pulmonary disease (OR, 1.26; P < 0.001), liver failure (OR 1.2, P = 0.04), and heart failure (OR, 1.17; P < 0.001) were all associated with readmission at 90 d. The primary indication for readmission was most commonly cardiac (33%), infectious (16.5%), and respiratory (9%).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients who undergo surgery for ATAAD, lower MHIQ was associated with higher odds of readmission following open repair. While early readmission for individuals living in the lowest income communities is likely attributable to greater baseline comorbidity burden, we observed that 90-d readmission rates are associated with lower MHIQ regardless of comorbidity burden. Further investigation is required to determine which patient-level and system-level interventions are needed to reduce readmissions in the immediate postoperative period for resource poor areas.

Rapid systematic review on risks and outcomes of sepsis: the influence of risk factors associated with health inequalities

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Sepsis is a serious and life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated immune response to an infection. Recent guidance issued in the UK gave recommendations around recognition and antibiotic treatment of sepsis, but did not consider factors relating to health inequalities. The aim of this study was to summarise the literature investigating associations between health inequalities and sepsis.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in Embase for peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 that included sepsis in combination with one of the following five areas: socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, community factors, medical needs and pregnancy/maternity.

RESULTS

Five searches identified 1,402 studies, with 50 unique studies included in the review after screening (13 sociodemographic, 14 race/ethnicity, 3 community, 3 care/medical needs and 20 pregnancy/maternity; 3 papers examined multiple health inequalities). Most of the studies were conducted in the USA (31/50), with only four studies using UK data (all pregnancy related). Socioeconomic factors associated with increased sepsis incidence included lower socioeconomic status, unemployment and lower education level, although findings were not consistent across studies. For ethnicity, mixed results were reported. Living in a medically underserved area or being resident in a nursing home increased risk of sepsis. Mortality rates after sepsis were found to be higher in people living in rural areas or in those discharged to skilled nursing facilities while associations with ethnicity were mixed. Complications during delivery, caesarean-section delivery, increased deprivation and black and other ethnic minority race were associated with post-partum sepsis.

CONCLUSION

There are clear correlations between sepsis morbidity and mortality and the presence of factors associated with health inequalities. To inform local guidance and drive public health measures, there is a need for studies conducted across more diverse setting and countries.

Lower socioeconomic status is not associated with severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a matched cohort analysis

PURPOSE

Assessing the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on the severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) on initial presentation to the spinal surgeon remains a challenge. The area deprivation index (ADI) is a validated measure of SES that abstracts multiple domains of disadvantage into a single score. We hypothesized that patients with low SES (high ADI) present to the orthopedic clinic with more advanced curve pathology.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with AIS. Subjects were assigned ADI scores based on Zip codes. Matched cohorts of high and low ADI were generated using propensity scores. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors impacting the magnitude of the curve at presentation.

RESULTS

A total of 425 patients with appropriate imaging were included. After matching, the study population was 69.2% female and 92.3% Black. The mean BMI percentile was 61.9. Medicaid covered 57.3% of subjects, and 42.7% had commercial insurance. The mean ADI was 55.5. The mean Cobb angle at presentation was 33.6 degrees. Cobb angle was significantly greater among female patients (36.0 degrees vs 28.0) and among patients with greater BMI percentile (β = 0.127), but was not significantly associated with ADI, race, or insurance type. ADI was not associated with the rate of surgery.

CONCLUSION

ADI is not predictive of curve severity in pediatric patients presenting to the clinic for AIS. Female sex and BMI are independently associated with advanced curvature. Public health workers, primary care providers, and surgeons should remain aware of the complex interactions of socioeconomic factors, BMI and sex when addressing barriers to timely care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III.

Linking Sepsis with chronic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and socioeconomic factors in the United States: A scoping review

RATIONALE

Sepsis is a syndrome of life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host immune response to infection. Social risk factors including location and poverty are associated with sepsis-related disparities. Understanding the social and biological phenotypes linked with the incidence of sepsis is warranted to identify the most at-risk populations. We aim to examine how factors in disadvantage influence health disparities related to sepsis.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed for English-language articles published in the United States from 1990 to 2022 on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Of the 2064 articles found, 139 met eligibility criteria and were included for review.

RESULTS

There is consistency across the literature of disproportionately higher rates of sepsis incidence, mortality, readmissions, and associated complications, in neighborhoods with socioeconomic disadvantage and significant poverty. Chronic arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus also occur more frequently in the same geographic distribution as sepsis, suggesting a potential shared pathophysiology.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of chronic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, social risk factors associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, and sepsis incidence, are clustered in specific geographical areas and linked by endothelial dysfunction. Such population factors can be utilized to create equitable interventions aimed at mitigating sepsis incidence and sepsis-related disparities.

Order Set Usage is Associated With Lower Hospital Mortality in Patients With Sepsis

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends standard operating procedures for patients with sepsis. Real-world evidence about sepsis order set implementation is limited.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the effect of sepsis order set usage on hospital mortality.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-four acute care hospitals in the United States from December 1, 2020 to November 30, 2022 involving 104,662 patients hospitalized for sepsis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Hospital mortality.

RESULTS

The sepsis order set was used in 58,091 (55.5%) patients with sepsis. Initial mean sequential organ failure assessment score was 0.3 lower in patients for whom the order set was used than in those for whom it was not used (2.9 sd [2.8] vs 3.2 [3.1], p < 0.01). In bivariate analysis, hospital mortality was 6.3% lower in patients for whom the sepsis order set was used (9.7% vs 16.0%, p < 0.01), median time from emergency department triage to antibiotics was 54 minutes less (125 interquartile range [IQR, 68-221] vs 179 [98-379], p < 0.01), and median total time hypotensive was 2.1 hours less (5.5 IQR [2.0-15.0] vs 7.6 [2.5-21.8], p < 0.01) and septic shock was 3.2% less common (22.0% vs 25.4%, p < 0.01). Order set use was associated with 1.1 fewer median days of hospitalization (4.9 [2.8-9.0] vs 6.0 [3.2-12.1], p < 0.01), and 6.6% more patients discharged to home (61.4% vs 54.8%, p < 0.01). In the multivariable model, sepsis order set use was independently associated with lower hospital mortality (odds ratio 0.70; 95% CI, 0.66-0.73).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In a cohort of patients hospitalized with sepsis, order set use was independently associated with lower hospital mortality. Order sets can impact large-scale quality improvement efforts.

Direct and indirect effects of socioeconomic status on sepsis risk and mortality: a mediation analysis of the HUNT Study

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status (SES) may influence risk of sepsis and sepsis-related mortality, but to what extent lifestyle and health-related factors mediate this effect is not known.

METHODS

The study included 65 227 participants of the population-based HUNT Study in Norway linked with hospital records to identify incident sepsis and sepsis-related deaths. Cox regression estimated HRs of sepsis risk and mortality associated with different indicators of SES, whereas mediation analyses were based on an inverse odds weighting approach.

RESULTS

During ~23 years of follow-up (1.3 million person-years), 4200 sepsis cases and 1277 sepsis-related deaths occurred. Overall, participants with low SES had a consistently increased sepsis risk and sepsis-related mortality using education, occupational class and financial difficulties as indicators of SES. Smoking and alcohol consumption explained 57% of the sepsis risk related to low education, whereas adding risk factors of cardiovascular disease and chronic diseases to the model increased the explained proportion to 78% and 82%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that SES is inversely associated with sepsis risk and mortality. Approximately 80% of the effect of education on sepsis risk was explained by modifiable lifestyle and health-related factors that could be targets for prevention.

Epidemiologic Study of Intensive Care Unit Admission in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study from 2010 to 2019

We aimed to investigate the trends of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in South Korea from 2010 to 2019. We included all adult patients (≥20 years old) who were admitted to the ICU during hospitalization from 2010 to 2019 in South Korea. There were 3,517,423 ICU admissions of 2,461,848 adult patients. Of the ICU admission cases, 66.8% (2,347,976/3,517,423) were surgery-associated admissions, and the rate of in-hospital mortality after ICU admission was 12.0% (422,155 patients). The most common diagnoses were diseases of the circulatory system (36.8%) and pneumonia (4%). The 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates were 16.0%, 23.6%, and 33.3% in 2010, and these values slightly decreased by 2019 to 14.7%, 22.1%, and 31.7%, respectively. The proportions of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) use and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support were 2.0% and 0.3% in 2010, and these values gradually increased by 2019 to 4.7% and 0.8%, respectively. Although the age and cost of hospitalization among critically ill patients who were admitted to the ICU increased from 2010 to 2019, the mortality rate decreased slightly. Moreover, the proportions of ECMO support and CRRT use had increased in our South Korean cohort.

Home-to-Hospital Distance and Outcomes Among Community-Acquired Sepsis Hospitalizations

PURPOSE

To examine the hypothesis that longer distance from home-to-hospital is associated with worse outcomes among hospitalizations for community-acquired sepsis.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) prospective cohort of 30,239 white and black US adults ≥ 45 years old was conducted. Self-reported hospitalizations for serious infection between 2003-2012 fulfilling 2/4 systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria were included. Estimated driving distance was derived from geocoded data and evaluated continuously and as quartiles of very close, close, far, very far (<3.1, 3.1-5.8, 5.9-11.5, and >11.5 miles respectively). The primary outcome was 30-day mortality while the secondary outcome was sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on arrival.

RESULTS

912 hospitalizations for community-acquired sepsis had adequate data for analysis. The median (interquartile range) estimated driving distance was 5.8 miles (3.1,11.7), and 54 (5.9%) experienced the primary outcome. Compared to living very close, participants living very far had a mortality odds ratio of 1.30 (95% CI 0.64,2.62) and presenting SOFA score difference of 0.33 (95% CI -0.03,0.68).

CONCLUSIONS

Among a national sample of community-acquired sepsis hospitalizations, there was no significant association between home-to-hospital distance and either 30-day mortality or SOFA score on hospital presentation.

The impact of medical insurance reimbursement on postoperative inflammation reaction in distinct cardiac surgery from a single center

Background

Evidences shows that socioeconomic status is reversely associated with the risk of morbidity and mortality for people with cardiovascular disease via pro-inflammation mechanism, but the population profile is not deeply defined on. We aimed to investigate the impact of medical insurance coverage on postoperative systemic inflammatory reaction in two kinds of disease populations undergoing distinct cardiac procedures.

Methods

A total of 515 patients receiving open mitral valve procedure with high-total expense from May 2013 through May 2021 in Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital were retrospectively collected and stratified according to medical insurance reimbursement: low coverage with high out-pocket (< 30%), medium coverage (≤ 60%, but ≥ 30%), and high coverage (> 60%). Another 118 cases undergoing atrium septum defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale (PFO) occlusion and taking on consistent low-total expense and low-coverage (< 30%) were also classified according to their insured conditions. The postoperative systemic inflammatory response indexes were high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Results

Low insurance reimbursement population undergoing open mitral valve procedure had a higher level of hs-CRP and NLR but not troponin I protein or lactate within 48 h postoperatively, and higher thoracic drainage, longer ventilation use and stay in intensive care unit. No significant difference in inflammatory indexes existed among diverse medical insurance coverage in population undergoing ASD/PFO occlusion.

Conclusions

Higher inflammatory reaction and weaker clinical recovery was associated with lower insurance coverage population undergoing open mitral valve procedure but not ASD/PFO interventional occlusion procedure.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-07920-8.

Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Race on Sepsis Epidemiology and Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a complex variable that is derived primarily from an individual's education, income, and occupation and has been found to be inversely related to outcomes of health conditions. Sepsis is the sixth most common admitting diagnosis and one of the most costly conditions for in-hospital spending in the United States. The objective of this review is to report on the relationship between SES and sepsis incidence and associated outcomes.

CONTENT

Sepsis epidemiology varies when explored by race, education, geographic location, income, and insurance status. Sepsis incidence was significantly increased in individuals of Black race compared with non-Hispanic white race; in persons who have less formal education, who lack insurance, and who have low income; and in certain US regions. People with low SES are likely to have onset of sepsis significantly earlier in life and to have poorly controlled comorbidities compared with those with higher SES. Sepsis mortality and hospital readmission is increased in individuals who lack insurance, who reside in low-income or medically underserved areas, who live far from healthcare, and who lack higher level education; however, a person's race was not consistently found to increase mortality.

SUMMARY

Interventions to minimize healthcare disparity for individuals with low SES should target sepsis prevention with increasing measures for preventive care for chronic conditions. Significant barriers described for access to care by people with low SES include cost, transportation, poor health literacy, and lack of a social network. Future studies should include polysocial risk scores that are consistently defined to allow for meaningful comparison across studies.

Association between sepsis incidence and regional socioeconomic deprivation and health care capacity in Germany - an ecological study

Background

Sepsis is a substantial health care burden. Data on regional variation in sepsis incidence in Germany and any possible associations with regional socioeconomic deprivation and health care capacity is lacking.

Methods

Ecological study based on the nationwide hospital Diagnosis-related Groups (DRG) statistics data of 2016. We identified sepsis by ICD-10-codes and calculated crude and age-standardized incidence proportions in the 401 administrative German districts. Associations between socioeconomic and health care capacity indicators and crude and age-adjusted sepsis incidence were investigated by simple and multiple negative binomial (NB) regressions.

Results

In 2016, sepsis incidence was 178 per 100,000 inhabitants and varied 10-fold between districts. We found that the rate of students leaving school without certificate was significantly associated with crude and age-standardized explicit sepsis incidence in the simple and multiple NB regressions. While we observed no evidence for an association to the capacity of hospital beds and general practitioners, the distance to the nearest pharmacy was associated with crude- and age-standardized sepsis incidence. In the multiple regression analyses, an increase of the mean distance + 1000 m was associated with an expected increase by 21.6 [95% CI, 10.1, 33.0] (p < 0.001), and 11.1 [95% CI, 1.0, 21.2]/100,000 population (p = .026) after adjusting for age differences between districts.

Conclusions

Residence in districts with lower socioeconomic status (e.g., less education) and further distance to pharmacies are both associated with an increased sepsis incidence. This warrants further research with individual-level patient data to better model and understand such dependencies and to ultimately design public health interventions to address the burden of sepsis in Germany.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11629-4.

Nationwide case-control study of risk factors and outcomes for community-acquired sepsis

Sepsis is the main cause of death in the intensive care units (ICU) and increasing incidences of ICU admissions for sepsis are reported. Identification of patients at risk for sepsis and poor outcome is therefore of outmost importance. We performed a nation-wide case-control study aiming at identifying and quantifying the association between co-morbidity and socio-economic factors with intensive care admission for community-acquired sepsis. We also explored 30-day mortality. All adult patients (n = 10,072) with sepsis admitted from an emergency department to an intensive care unit in Sweden between 2008 and 2017 and a control population (n = 50,322), matched on age, sex and county were included. In the sepsis group, 69% had a co-morbid condition at ICU admission, compared to 31% in the control group. Multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis was performed and there was a large variation in the influence of different risk factors associated with ICU-admission, renal disease, liver disease, metastatic malignancy, substance abuse, and congestive heart failure showed the strongest associations. Low income and low education level were more common in sepsis patients compared to controls. The adjusted OR for 30-day mortality for sepsis patients was 132 (95% CI 110-159) compared to controls.

Association of Hospitalised Infection With Socioeconomic Status in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving Biologics or Tofacitinib: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Objectives: Use of biologics or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) is associated with infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Socioeconomic status is substantial in infectious diseases; however, the impact of socioeconomic status on risk for infection in patients with RA receiving b/tsDMARD remains unclear. Methods: We used the 2003-2017 Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify patients with RA receiving b/tsDMARDs. A Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the associations of covariates with the risk of hospitalised infection shown as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs). Results: We identified 7,647 RA patients who started their first bDMARD/tsDMARD treatment. Log-rank analyses demonstrated the association between age (p < 0.001), urbanisation (p = 0.001), the insured amount (p = 0.021), and the hospitalisation. Cox proportional regression analyses showed that age was independently associated with hospitalised infection in a dose-response manner, whereas a high-income category had an inverse association (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.23-0.96). Hospitalisation for infection within 5 years was a strong risk factor (HR 5.63, 95% CI 1.91-16.62), and living in a rural area tended to be a risk factor (HR 1.76, 95% CI 0.98-3.14) for incident hospitalised infection. Conclusions: This study showed the crucial impacts of age, socioeconomic status, and history of infection on hospitalised infection in patients with RA receiving b/tsDMARDs. These findings highlight the largely ignored role of socioeconomic status in risk stratification among patients receiving b/tsDMARDs for RA.

Lower socioeconomic factors are associated with higher mortality in patients with septic shock

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have explored the relationship between socioeconomic status and sepsis outcomes OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigation is to determine if race, ethnicity, economic stability, neighborhood environment, and access to health care are predictive of mortality in patients with septic shock.

METHODS

Retrospective study of septic shock patients admitted to two medical centers.

RESULTS

Caucasian patients had higher proportion of outpatient physician visits in the year prior to admission and were less likely to be Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries. Thirty-day mortality was lower for the Caucasian cohort (39.3% vs. 48.7%, p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression found several predictors of 30-day mortality including Minority race/ethnicity (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.12-1.86), unemployment (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.09-1.81), and neighborhood poverty rate ≥10% (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.01-2.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Minority patients, unemployed patients, and those living in neighborhoods with poverty rates greater than 10% suffered from higher 30-day mortality when admitted for septic shock.

Māori health outcomes in an intensive care unit in Aotearoa New Zealand

Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and suffer disparate health outcomes compared to non-Māori. Waikato District Health Board provides level III intensive care unit services to New Zealand's Midland region. In 2016, our institution formalised a corporate strategy to eliminate health inequities for Māori. Our study aimed to describe Māori health outcomes in our intensive care unit and identify inequities. We performed a retrospective audit of prospectively entered data in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society database for all general intensive care unit admissions over 15 years of age to Waikato Hospital from 2014 to 2018 (n = 3009). Primary outcomes were in-intensive care unit and in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was one-year mortality. In our study, Māori were over-represented relative to the general population. Compared to non-Māori, Māori patients were younger (51 versus 61 years, P < 0.001), and were more likely to reside outside of the Waikato region (37.2% versus 28.0%, P < 0.001) and in areas of higher deprivation (P < 0.001). Māori had higher admission rates for trauma and sepsis (P < 0.001 overall) and required more renal replacement therapy (P < 0.001). There was no difference in crude and adjusted mortality in-intensive care unit (16.8% versus 16.5%, P = 0.853; adjusted odds ratio 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.68 to 1.40)) or in-hospital (23.7% versus 25.7%, P = 0.269; adjusted odds ratio 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.60 to 1.18)). One-year mortality was similar (26.1% versus 27.1%, P=0.6823). Our study found significant ethnic inequity in the intensive care unit for Māori, who require more renal replacement therapy and are over-represented in admissions, especially for trauma and sepsis. These findings suggest upstream factors increasing Māori risk for critical illness. There was no difference in mortality outcomes.

Disparities Associated with Sepsis Mortality in Critically Ill Children

Disparities in health care related to socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity are well documented in adult and neonatal sepsis, but they are less characterized in the critically ill pediatric population. This study investigated whether socioeconomic status and/or race/ethnicity is associated with mortality among children treated for sepsis in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A retrospective cohort study was conducted using information from 48 children's hospitals included in the Pediatric Health Information System database. We included visits by children ≤ 21 years with All Patients Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups (APR-DRG) diagnosis codes of septicemia and disseminated infections that resulted in PICU admission from 2010 to 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was used to measure the effect of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (insurance status and median household income for zip code) on mortality after adjustment for age, gender, illness severity, and presence of complex chronic condition. Among the 14,276 patients with sepsis, the mortality rate was 6.8%. In multivariable analysis, socioeconomic status, but not race/ethnicity, was associated with mortality. In comparison to privately insured children, nonprivately insured children had increased odds of mortality (public: adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.2 [1.0, 1.5]; uninsured: aOR: 2.1 [1.2, 3.7]). Similarly, children living in zip codes with the lowest quartile of annual household income had higher odds of mortality than those in the highest quartile (aOR: 1.5 [1.0, 2.2]). These data suggest the presence of socioeconomic, but not racial/ethnic, disparities in mortality among children treated for sepsis. Further research is warranted to understand why such differences exist and how they may be addressed.

Factors associated with sepsis risk in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a nationwide study

Background:

Risk factors for sepsis have not been assessed in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi) for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) who are vulnerable to serious/hospitalized infections.

Methods:

Data from 2003–2017 were obtained from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database to identify patients receiving TNFi, including etanercept, adalimumab, and golimumab, for IMIDs including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), Crohn’s disease (CD), and ulcerative colitis (UC). To investigate risk factors for sepsis, we used the Sepsis-3 definition and calculated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Cox regression analysis.

Results:

There were 17,764 patients (mean age 49.3 ± 14.3 years; females, 57.6%) receiving TNFi for IMIDs, including RA (58.6%), AS (19.1%), PsO (15.1%), PsA (2.5%), CD (3.0%), and UC (1.7%). The overall incidence rate of sepsis was 1088 per 100,000 person-years. After adjustment for potential confounders, recent sepsis within 3 months before TNFi initiation (HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.73–3.20), CD (HR, 3.36; 95% CI 2.11–5.34; reference group: AS) and glucocorticoid use (prednisolone-equivalent dose, mg/day HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.05–1.06) were associated with the risk of sepsis. Intriguingly, golimumab users appeared to have a lower risk of sepsis compared with etanercept users (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38–0.83). In addition, socioeconomic status, including urbanization level and insured amount, was associated with sepsis in a dose-response manner.

Conclusions:

Recent sepsis, CD, concomitant glucocorticoid use, and low socioeconomic status, which were associated with an increased risk of sepsis, are crucial for individualized risk management plans.

Health Inequalities Among Elderly Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Japan

The influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on health inequalities has received much attention worldwide. This study examined the effect of SES on the following older type 2 diabetes mellitus patient health outcomes: oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA) medication adherence (proportion of days covered, PDC), risk of hospitalization for diabetic macrovascular complications, and in-hospital death. A retrospective cohort design using 2013–2016 claims data was used. Subjects were 58,349 diabetes patients aged >74 years in 2013. Age, sex, residential area, and comorbidities were controlled for. Logistic regression was conducted to assess the effects of income on PDC; survival analysis was used to assess the effects on hospitalization and in-hospital death. Regressions were conducted separately by sex. Compared with the lowest income group, adjusted PDC odds ratios for medium- and high-income males, respectively, were 1.35 (95% CI: 1.27–1.43) and 1.41 (95% CI: 1.30–1.54); females: 1.17 (95% CI: 1.11–1.23) and 1.24 (95% CI: 1.13–1.35). Adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) for male hospitalization were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80–0.96) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79–0.99); females: 1.00 (95% CI: 0.93–1.07) and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.83–1.08). AHRs for male in-hospital death were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75–0.91) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.54–0.70); females: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87–1.02) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.65–0.92). Results revealed sex-specific health inequalities among older Japanese diabetes patients. Subjects with worse SES had significantly poorer OHA medication adherence (both sexes), higher hospitalization risk for diabetes complications (males), and higher in-hospital death risk (both sexes).

Health inequities in the diagnosis and outcome of sepsis in Argentina: a prospective cohort study

Background

Socioeconomic variables impact health outcomes but have rarely been evaluated in critical illness. Low- and middle-income countries bear the highest burden of sepsis and also have significant health inequities. In Argentina, public hospitals serve the poorest segment of the population, while private institutions serve patients with health coverage. Our objective was to analyze differences in mortality between public and private hospitals, using Sepsis-3 definitions.

Methods

This is a multicenter, prospective cohort study including patients with sepsis admitted to 49 Argentine ICUs lasting 3 months, beginning on July 1, 2016. Epidemiological, clinical, and socioeconomic status variables and hospital characteristics were compared between patients admitted to both types of institutions.

Results

Of the 809 patients included, 367 (45%) and 442 (55%) were admitted to public and private hospitals, respectively. Those in public institutions were younger (56 ± 18 vs. 64 ± 18; p < 0.01), with more comorbidities (Charlson score 2 [0–4] vs. 1 [0–3]; p < 0.01), fewer education years (7 [7–12] vs. 12 [10–16]; p < 0.01), more frequently unemployed/informally employed (30% vs. 7%; p < 0.01), had similar previous self-rated health status (70 [50–90] vs. 70 [50–90] points; p = 0.30), longer pre-admission symptoms (48 [24–96] vs. 24 [12–48] h; p < 0.01), had been previously evaluated more frequently in any healthcare venue (28 vs. 20%; p < 0.01), and had higher APACHE II, SOFA, lactate levels, and mechanical ventilation utilization. ICU admission as septic shock was more frequent in patients admitted to public hospitals (47 vs. 35%; p < 0.01), as were infections caused by multiresistant microorganisms. Sepsis management in the ICU showed no differences. Twenty-eight-day mortality was higher in public hospitals (42% vs. 24%; p < 0.01) as was hospital mortality (47% vs. 30%; p < 0.01). Admission to a public hospital was an independent predictor of mortality together with comorbidities, lactate, SOFA, and mechanical ventilation; in an alternative prediction model, it acted as a correlate of pre-hospital symptom duration and infections caused by multiresistant microorganisms.

Conclusions

Patients in public hospitals belonged to a socially disadvantaged group and were sicker at admission, had septic shock more frequently, and had higher mortality. Unawareness of disease severity and delays in the health system might be associated with late admission. This marked difference in outcome between patients served by public and private institutions constitutes a state of health inequity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13054-019-2522-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Association of social deprivation with 1-year outcome of ICU survivors: results from the FROG-ICU study

Purpose

Intensive care unit survivors suffer from prolonged impairment, reduced quality of life, and higher mortality rates after discharge compared to the general population. Socioeconomic status may play a partial but important role in mortality and recovery. Therefore, the detection of factors that are responsible for poor long-term outcomes would be beneficial in designing targeted interventions for at-risk populations.

Methods

For an endpoint analysis, 1834 intensive care unit patients with known French Deprivation Index (FDep) scores were included from the French and euRopean Outcome reGistry in Intensive Care Units (FROG-ICU) study, which was a prospective, observational, multicenter cohort study performed in 20 French intensive care units in 13 different hospitals. Socioeconomic status was defined by using the FDep score [represented as quintiles when referring to the general French population, as quintiles when referring to the FROG-ICU cohort, or as dichotomized data (which was defined as a FDep ≤ 0 for nondeprived patients)] and by using a detailed social questionnaire that was completed 3 months after discharge. The primary outcome included an all-cause, 1-year mortality after ICU discharge when regarding socioeconomic status. The secondary outcomes included both ICU and hospital lengths of stay, both short- and medium-term mortality, and the quality of life, as assessed during the 1-year follow-up by using the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36). The Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) was used to evaluate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to screen for anxiety and depression.

Results

Of the 1447 patients who were discharged alive from the ICU, 19.2% died over the following year. No association was found between 1-year mortality and socioeconomic status, regardless of whether this association was analyzed in quintiles (p = 0.911 in the quintiles of the general French population; p = 0.589 in the quintiles of the FROG-ICU cohort itself) or as dichotomized data [nondeprived (n = 177; 1-year mortality of 18.2%) versus deprived (n = 97; 1-year mortality of 20.5%; p = 0.304)]. Moreover, no differences were found between the nondeprived and the deprived patients in the ICU and hospital lengths of stay, ICU mortalities, in-hospital mortalities, or 28-day mortalities. The SF-36 was below the score for the normal French population throughout the follow-up period. Socially deprived patients showed significantly lower median scores in the physical function subscale [55, interquartile range (IQR) (28.8–80) vs. 65, IQR (35–90); p = 0.014], the physical role subscale [25, IQR (0–75) vs. 33.3, IQR (0–100); p = 0.022], and the overall physical component scale [47.5, IQR (30–68.8) vs. 54.4, IQR (35–78.8); p = 0.010]. Up to 31.6% of survivors presented symptoms that indicated post-traumatic stress disorder, and up to 31.5% of survivors reported clinically meaningful symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Conclusions

A lower socioeconomic status was associated with lower self-reported physical component scores in the nondeprived patients. Psychiatric symptoms are frequently reported after an ICU stay, and subsequent interventions should target those fields.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01367093; registered on June 6, 2011.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00134-018-5412-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.