Relationship between inflammatory factors, lactic acid levels, acute skin failure, bad mood, and sleep quality

The central link between septic shock and acute skin failure (ASF) is the inflammatory response, which occurs throughout disease progression and can lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Patients often experience bad moods, sleep disorders, and other health issues. Despite recognizing these factors, no studies have examined the correlation between inflammatory factors, lactic acid levels, ASF, mood disturbances, and sleep quality in critically ill patients. We hypothesize that higher levels of inflammatory factors and lactic acid are associated with more severe ASF and poorer mood and sleep quality, which may inform clinical treatment for septic shock and ASF.

To explore the relationship between inflammatory factors, lactic acid levels, the severity of ASF, bad mood, and sleep quality.

The retrospective study included 150 patients with septic shock from the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, categorized into ASF (n = 35) or non-ASF groups (n = 115). We compared the peripheral blood inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), lactic acid levels, skin mottling score (SMS), modified early warning score (MEWS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores. Pearson correlation analysis assessed relationships among these variables.

The ASF group had significantly higher levels of CRP (19.60 ± 4.10 vs 15.30 ± 2.96 mg/mL), IL-6 (298.65 ± 48.65 vs 268.66 ± 33.66 pg/L), procalcitonin, lactic acid (8.42 ± 2.32 vs 5.70 ± 1.27 mmol/L), SMS [0 (0, 1) vs 3 (2, 3)], MEWS (9.34 ± 1.92 vs 6.48 ± 1.96), SAS (61.63 ± 12.03 vs 53.71 ± 12.48), SDS (60.17 ± 12.64 vs 52.27 ± 12.64), and PSQI scores (14.23 ± 3.94 vs 8.69 ± 2.46) compared with the non-ASF group (all P < 0.001). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that IL-6, CRP, TNF-α, and lactic acid were positively correlated with SMS, MEWS, SAS, SDS, and PSQI scores (P < 0.05).

Peripheral blood levels of IL-6, CRP, TNF-α, and lactic acid correlate positively with SMS, MEWS, SAS, SDS, and PSQI in critically ill patients with ASF.