Introduction:

The prevalence of euthyroid sick syndrome in patients with sepsis is approximately 60%; there is little information on its correlation with multiorgan failure.

Objective:

To estimate the prevalence of euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) and correlate it with the presence of specific organ failures, severity scores and clinical outcomes.

Methods:

Patients with diagnosis of sepsis in a critical care unit during the period from March 2014 to February 2016; we registered the clinical variables and laboratory studies, including thyroid function, in all patients.

Statistical analysis:

Descriptive statistics with frequency measures of central tendency and dispersion. Mortality-survival analysis with Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier were made, as well as risk ratios and confidence intervals of 95%. A two-tailed adjusted alpha error of less than 5% was considered significant. The statistical package STATA SE version 11.1 was used.

Results:

Ninety patients were included, 51.1% female, aged 71 ± 14.15 years; the BMI at admission to the ICU was 24.94 ± 5.07 kg/m2. The overall prevalence of ESS was 61.1%. ESS patients presented in greater proportion with hemodynamic, renal and hematologic failure, without reaching statistical significance. In the combined phases 2 and 3 of SEE, a higher proportion of renal failure was observed: 88 vs. 63.3 %, RR = 1.8 (95% CI 1.1-2.6, p = 0.037). High doses of vasopressors (norepinephrine > 0.1 µg/kg/min) RR = 2.3 (95% CI 1.063-5.18, p = 0.024). Lower survival with a median of 28 days (IQR 19-39) versus 26 (IQR 13-36), p = 0.7. PCT greater than or equal to 6 in 65.5 versus 40%, RR = 1.87 (95% CI 1.1-3.1, p = 0.18); higher SOFA score with a median of 12 (IQR 8-4) versus 9 (IQR 7-13) points, p = 0.09. In addition to worse outcomes during hospital stay evaluated by a composite index that included mortality, need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), SOFA ≥ 9 with a RR = 1.713 (95% CI 1.036-2.83, p = 0.05). ROC curve analysis detected the best cut of SOFA as a predictor of ESS ≥11, sensitivity 60.0, specificity 62 LR + 1.6, LR-0.63, AUC = 0.6. RR = 1.7 (95% CI 1.024-3.05, p = 0.034).

Conclusions:

Patients with ESS have higher markers of inflammation, increased requirement for vasopressors and ventilatory support, as well as elevated multiorgan failure and mortality.

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