Five-year outcomes and predictors of mortality following sepsis in a large cohort of patients in a general medical ward: A cohort study from South India

Background: Although sepsis is a well-known cause of in-hospital mortality, data on long term outcomes are scarce. Aim: This study aims to estimate the cumulative 5-year mortality among patients with infection requiring admission. Methods: This was a cohort study done in tertiary care center in South India, with recruitment of those admitted with an infection between January 1st, 2009 and July 31st, 2014 in a medical unit. The patients were followed up by telephonic call or case record review. Kaplan–Meier survival curve was plotted and Cox-proportional hazard model was used as multivariable analysis to identify the independent risk factors of long-term mortality. Results: One thousand four hundred and fifty three patients were followed up in this cohort study. The mean survival by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was 3.78 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.33, 4.22) in quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score positive patients and 6.07 years (95% CI 5.73, 6.41) in qSOFA negative patients which was statistically significant by the log-rank test. The cumulative 1-year mortality was 44.9% and 21.8% for qSOFA score of 2 or more and nonsepsis patients, respectively. The median survival of qSOFA score of 2 or more patients was 0.75 years (95% CI 0–2.1 years). The mortality among sepsis patients at discharge, 1 year, 5 and 8 years was 38.2%, 44.9%, 47.4%, and 47.8%, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed age hazard ratio (HR) 1.02 (1.01, 1.04), male gender 1.45 (1.03, 2.04), >qSOFA score HR 1.89 (1.32, 2.72), Charlson Comorbidity Index HR 1.29 (1.14, 1.46), respiratory tract infection HR 1.81 (1.10, 2.95), and inotrope requirement HR 3.24 (1.98, 5.29) were the independent predictors of long-term mortality. Conclusions: The median survival of patients with possible infection with qSOFA score of 2 or more patients was 0.75 years (95% CI 0–2.1 years). Older age, male gender, qSOFA score of 2 or more, Charlson Comorbidity Index, respiratory tract infection, and inotrope requirement HR 3.24 were the independent predictors of long-term mortality.