[Epidemiological study of sepsis in Mexican intensive care units]

Consistent data about sepsis in Mexico are lacking. The objective of this epidemiological study is to better define the incidence, characteristics and outcome of sepsis in Mexican intensive care units (ICUs).

This is a multicenter, transverse study performed in both private and public ICUs. Demographic data, comorbid diseases and clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively.

A total of 135 ICUs from 24 states of Mexico were studied. From 40,957 annual hospitalizations 11,183 were due to sepsis, which represented 27.3% of admissions to ICU. From 11,183 patients with sepsis, 3402 died, representing a mortality rate of 30.4%. The most frequent sepsis trigger was abdominal infection (47%) followed by pulmonary infection (33%), soft tissue infection (8%) and kidney infection (7%); 5% were from other sources (neurological, osteoarticular). From the isolated bacteria, 52% were gram negative, 38% gram positive and 10% fungal infection; 60% of the private hospital ICUs and 40% of public hospital ICUs applied the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (p<0.05). In 50% of each of the ICUs, they adhere to the campaign recommendations. Costs in septic patients are high.

This study documents the high incidence of sepsis in Mexican ICUs, with high mortality rate and low adherence to Surviving Sepsis Campaign. Our data suggest that sepsis is a public health problem in Mexico.