Implications of Statin Use on Vasopressor Therapy in the Setting of Septic Shock

Background: Pleiotropic anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of statins have been associated with improved outcomes in the critically ill population. Objective: To evaluate the implications of prior statin use on the duration of vasopressor therapy in the setting of septic shock. Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter study of adult patients who were diagnosed with septic shock. Patients were included if they were treated with any vasopressor for greater than 6 hours from the time of admission. The primary outcome was to compare the duration of vasopressor therapy in patients with septic shock with and without previous statin exposure. Results: A total of 88 statin-exposed cases and 205 unexposed controls were included in the analysis. Despite 92% of statin-exposed patients being reinitiated on therapy within 24 hours, the duration of vasopressors did not differ between groups (44 hours, statin group vs 53 hours, control group, P = .51). There were also no mortality differences between the statin group and the controls (40% vs 47%, P = .27). Conclusions: Long-term statin exposure does not impact the duration of vasopressor therapy in septic shock. The lack of differences in clinical outcomes supports the concept that sepsis involves pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways as well as other nonimmunologic pathways. Results lend further credence to the recent conceptualization of sepsis, with complications leading to organ dysfunction caused not primarily due to inflammatory responses but by a dysregulated response to infection.